Lots of bees!

Observation by Brandie Radigan:

This summer we have seen a lot more bees than the last few years. They seem to enjoy white sweet clover, unlike us. Here’s to a bee comeback!

Comments from LEO Editors:

Pollinating insects are necessary for the reproduction of flowering plants, both wild and cultivated, and bees are are a prime example. Alaska is home to three genera of bees, including Bumblebees (Bombus spp), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp), and Sweat bees (family Halictidae). Bumblebees and Sweat bees are general pollinators, visiting a variety of flowers, and build their colony nests in the ground or in low-lying material. Andrenid bees are more solitary, and although they also dig nests in the soil, they dig single nests. Andrenid bees are particularly effective pollinators of wild blueberries! European Honey Bees are imported every year by beekeepers in Alaska. Although these are not native species, they play an important role in pollinating cultivated crops in addition to wild forest. Source: USDA Insect Pollinators of Alaska

Because pollination is such a critical part of a healthy ecosystem, decreases in bee populations have caused great concern in the US. Among commercial hives, colony die-offs are commonly attributed to Colony Collapse Disorder. This can be the result of many different factors, including pesticide application, invasive parasites, change in habitat, stress and inadequate food or nutrition. A study of the western Bumblebee (Bombus occidentalis) population in Alaska revealed the presence of Nosema, which impacts the ability of the bees to digest food. Although more research is needed to understand bee declines in North America, the study provided important baseline information to help shape future research. Erica Lujan

Resources

The Brief and Busy Life of the Arctic Bumblebee by Anne Sutton with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Researchers Survey Alaskan Native Bumblebees by Dana Kobilinsky with The Wildlife Society

In a race against extinction, rusty patched bumble bee is listed as endangered U.S. Fish and Wildlife News Release