When we think about bees, we may imagine swarms of these insects busily working together. But there are solitary bees that don’t live in large colonies like most honeybees. Solitary bee species live in isolation and they don’t operate within a complex social system. These bees still play a vital role in pollination and this in turn contributes to the health of our entire ecosystem.
Understanding Solitary Bees
These bees build a solitary bee nest instead of residing in a traditional hive. Every female bee will construct her own nest without the help or support from a worker class.
A solitary beehive is usually located in a preexisting natural structure to make construction faster and easier. Some prime locations for these hives include wood tunnels, holes in the ground, hollow stems, tree stumps, and more.
There are thousands of species of solitary bees located all around the world. They are found in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes from smaller sweat bees to very large carpenter bees. Some of the best-known solitary bee species are orchard bees, mining bees, mason bees, and leaf-cutter bees.
The Fascinating Lives of Solitary Bees
Solitary bees construct nests, some prefer the aforementioned cavity nesting and others are ground-nesting species. A solitary bee will go through four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. This process begins when a female lays an egg in her nest which she feeds with a nutrient-dense pollen and nectar mix.
The larvae then hatch and eat the stored food to grow strong enough to enter the pupal stage. When the time is right, the adult bee emerges from the pupa and begins to forage for food.
These bee species forage for nectar and pollen in a similar way to a social bee. But they have individualistic foraging tendencies with a preference for certain flowers that they can rely on for pollen and nectar. Some species have a broad range of preferred flowers and some are surprisingly picky eaters.
Like all bee species, a solitary bee is visiting flowers primarily to collect sugary sweet nectar that they extract with their proboscis. This long tube-like tongue can reach deep into the flower to suck up the nectar which is a vital energy source.
A solitary bee will also collect pollen grains as an additional source of protein as they move from one flower to the next. These grains stick to the hairy body of the bee and during grooming, it is transferred to a special body or leg structure known as a scopae or pollen basket.
Social Bees Compared to Solitary Bees
In comparison to social bees, a solitary bee has a more limited foraging area located around its nesting site. This is because solitary bees don’t need to cover larger distances to find sufficient food to support an entire bee colony. These bees tend to be more active in daylight hours when the weather is sunny, and the flowers are open.
They require visual cues such as shape, color, and size to find their favorite flowers. Certain solitary bee species are more or less active at specific times of the day to match the limitations of their environment.
The Crucial Role of Solitary Bees in Pollination
Solitary bee species are good pollinators, and this process is essential for flowering plant reproduction. When a pollinator visits a flower, it transfers pollen from the anthers (male reproductive organs to the stigma (female reproductive organs) of another or even the same flower. This fertilizes the plant for fresh growth which is vital for the production, or fruits, seeds, and many new plants.
Around 75% of the leading food crops rely on pollination to a greater or less extent including fruit, vegetables, seeds, oil-seeds, nuts, and more. Without pollination, the crop yields would be much lower, and this could potentially lead to food shortages.
Although solitary bees may not be as prolific as social bees when it comes to pollination, they are still an important pollinator species. So, if you discover a solitary beehive on your property consider yourself to be lucky. The bee will indirectly contribute to plant reproduction in your yard, and they search for nectar and transfer pollen.
Creating a Solitary Bee-Friendly Environment
Now that you have a better understanding of the value of solitary bees for your yard and the environment it’s perfectly natural to want a few on your property. Let’s take a look at nine simple steps to create your own solitary bee-friendly garden:
1. Provide Nesting Sites for Solitary Bees
You will need plenty of solitary bee nest sites where the bees can lay eggs and raise offspring. Add some different nesting types to the garden with the bare ground for the ground-nesting species and natural nesting spots for those that prefer them, such as dead wood piles, hollow stems, or even an artificial bee house.
2. Food Sources for Solitary Bees
It’s a good idea to plant a wide variety of flowering plants that can provide a ready source of nectar and pollen throughout the entire growing season. Use plants with different sizes, shapes, and colors to attract a wider variety of solitary bee species. Focus on native plants because they will offer broad appeal for local solitary bees that may prefer them.
3. Plant Perennials and Annuals
Use perennial and annual flowering plants to create continuous blooms during the entire growing season. This is the best way to create a consistent food source for bees, butterflies, and other helpful insects in your garden.
4. Don’t Use Pesticides
Eliminate or minimize the use of pesticides because they harm solitary and social bees and many other helpful insects that prey on pests. Try to focus on natural pest control methods to create an ecosystem that is healthy and supportive of predator and prey insects.
5. Sunny Areas
A solitary bee will be attracted to sunny areas in your garden. So, it’s a good idea to create some open sunlit places where a bee can relax, warm up and search for food. The flowering plants should be positioned around these sunny spots to maximize their attraction and utility for the solitary bees.
6. Take Care When Mulching
Mulching is a great way to retain moisture and control weed growth in your garden. But, solitary bees need exposed plant stems and patches of ground for nesting. Try to leave some parts of the garden wilder and you will provide ample nesting opportunities for solitary bee species.
7. Water Sources in the Garden for Bees
All pollinators need ready access to drinking water and you can create shallow water sources with dishes. Place some pebbles in the water to give the bees and butterflies somewhere to prevent drowning and to give them somewhere to rest as they drink.
8. Shelter for the Solitary Bees
Like all small flying creatures, solitary bees need some shelter that offers protection against inclement weather. This can be shrubs, small trees, dense patches of vegetation, wood piles, or other natural hiding spots.
9. Avoid Overt Cleanliness in the Garden
Most people like a clean and tidy garden, but if the environment is too sterile, it’s unlikely that you will attract solitary bees. Leave a piece of the garden a little wild and untidy with decaying plant matter, dead leaves, fallen branches, and more to create the ideal habitat.
Solitary Bees: In Conclusion
Although solitary bees may not be as prolific in terms of pollination as their social bee cousins, they can still play a vital role in your garden. As they visit flowering plants to forage for food, they can improve the health and vitality of the entire ecosystem.