{"id":1759,"date":"2018-10-11T16:28:20","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T16:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/science\/?p=1759"},"modified":"2023-08-08T16:27:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T16:27:11","slug":"lessons-learned-about-iowas-wild-bees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/science\/2018\/10\/11\/lessons-learned-about-iowas-wild-bees\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons Learned About Iowa’s Wild Bees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Dr. Hendrix\u2019s talk \u201cProtecting Iowa\u2019s Wild Bees: Your Backyard Counts,\u201d we learned that honey bees are the only type of bees that are social. Most bees are solitary bees! Solitary bees create nests in holes in wood, bamboo, or in the ground. These solitary wild bees are important pollinators of almonds, berries, and other crops. Wild bees are more effective at pollination than honey bees because when wild bees visit flowers, the wild bees typically stay for a longer amount of time compared with honey bees. There are over 300 species of solitary wild bees in Iowa!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We learned a little about what life is like for bees who live in Iowa City! What spaces have a lot of greenery and flowers? Where are they located? How does the supply for bee foraging compare with demand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dr.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And, finally, we learned what we can do to help bees thrive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bees will flock (or buzz?) to native prairie plants, so it helps to plant the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n