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Call for questions: NATIVE BEES (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-23 19:17:16
Edited:
2023-05-23 19:20:41
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Aaaand on Friday I get to have a native bee scientist and photographer, the amazing Krystal Hickman, come by my frickin garden and chat about so many overlooked species of bee, how to attract them, and how to take pictures of bee butts. (Trust me, she's an expert in this: https://www.instagram.com/beesip)

Leave questions for Krystal below, and again let's hope I don't pass out from sheer entogluteal cuteness. 

Swooning,

Ol' Ward

Comments

RJ Doidge

Just *how* endangered are they…do I want to know?

Brie

Is it true that eating local honey can help with seasonal allergies?

GenusByGenus

Is there anything I can do to help native bees without helping invasive bees? On a related note, I’m currently switching my lawn from fescue (gross) to clover and wild violet— are there any other native ground cover plants I can add that native bees would like? (for geographical reference, I’m in southern Illinois).

Jessalyn Pennington

Is it flim flam that consuming local honey will help with pollen allergies? 🐝

Aubrey Nelson

Okay, I love my garden and my pollinators but buzzing freaks me out. What wasps/bees should I worry about and what can I do to deter or avoid just the mean ones? I love all the rest!

Matt Thompson

What are some native bees that are mistaken for wasps/yellow jackets?

Adam Silk

How much wild pollination is done by bees?

Savannah Glenn

FTQA: what can an average joe like me do to help native bees survive?

Lindsey

Where are good sources of information on where to get native plant seeds? Are there specific plants that are better for native bees than others?

EdNoGG

2 for 1!? You’re killing me smalls! Strips!? Camouflage or warning sign?

Dan

Apparently there is an Australian bee with no sting so you can keep them without anaphylaxis risk. I'm in Australia, how do I support this non violent buzzer in my own home?

Brenna Pixley

I just heard you can catch solitary bumblebees and sell them for 100s of dollars. Seems sus & also lucrative.

Rebecca Davis

Are there plants that are touted as being really good for bees (and other insect pollinators) but are actually not that great?

Charlotte Fjelkegård

Can I trust any labels on garden plants that proclaim them "pollinator friendly" or "bee friendly"? Or are they all full of pesticides? (Yes, I have mostly native plants in the garden but also want to prolong the season, so ...)

Julie Dupre

Is it true painting wood light blue to mimic the sky will prevent carpenter bees from drilling into it?

Lazer Introlegator

Are honey bees imported from Europe pushing out native honey bees? Do we need to get rid of them to save the native bees or are they chill?

Frances Hurst Brubaker

How do I study bees? What are some of the understudied aspects of bee biology, especially native bees and wasps? I hear all the hype around honey bees but do we know as much about native pollinators? Also do other bees also do the waggle dance thing? Also do you have any fun facts about the sweat bee genus Agapostemon? They are so green and tiny, and I want to know more!

Beau Jarvis

How many different kinds of bees are there? Also, why are yellowjackets so mean?!?!?

Kyla Kelly

My uncle taught me how to pet bees when I was a kid, telling me they wouldn't sting me? Is it true that bumble bees don't sing? Was I hurting the bee? Seems like questionable uncle advice...

Bonnie Detwiller

Why are those rolly polly fuzzy friend bees fuzzy?

Nicole D-G

Oh my goodness, yes. This. The buzzing! Bring on the nice bees and please repel those giant scary mean ones!

Mickie Farris

We have Mason bees that seem to be building nests in the hollow window casings on our exterior windows. We are happy to let them have a home, but is there any concern with mites or overheating to the bees? Should we block up these holes after the baby bees come out, or leave it as a little be nursery?

Kathy Connelly

I’m a beekeeper and if anyone had told me 20 years ago I’d have affection for insects I’d have thought they licked the wrong road. I love them so much, but I’m thinking of ending this activity because of the competition with native pollinators. I only have 1-2 hives a year at my home but we’ve devoted a lot of blood and treasure in converting our city lot to a native plant Eden. Moving them elsewhere is just exporting the problem. What is the guest’s perspective?

Kyla Kelly

What's your favorite bee joke?

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

How can I help native bees? I've tried to raise leafcutter bees (tried) should I try again or is there another variety I should try? (NE PA if that matters) Or is that a bad idea all together?

Jacob Bowman

is there anything that we can be doing to help these important insects other than planting more native pollinator species?

Brittany Peek

What kind of defenses do bees have against both predators and adverse weather?

Maren Prophit

What's the best way to support native bees in a city environment? I live in Brooklyn and know of some keepers in various parks or areas of the city but what are some things to do if access to a garden is limited?

Katlyn Gagnier

(1st time question asker) I have carpenter bees on my back stairs, and while I love them because they are friggin adorable, I’m worried about my stairs. Is there a way I can give them something else to dig their little bee holes in so my stairs don’t fall apart? And side note: I’ve been laughing about the phrase “carpenter bee holes” ever since my husband called them that when inspecting the stairs last week. It gets funnier every time!

Calla Turnbull

I daydream about setting up hives and would love to have honey bees but I worry they will cause problems for the native, non-honey bees in my area! ...then I think maybe it is helpful to support any bee population, even if they aren't a local species. Is there an ethical way to still have honey bees or should I give up my beeswax-candle-making dreams?

Aly V

SoCal wildlife biologist here! Do you have any pro tips for doing on the spot ID in the field? It’s so hard to memorize the differences between male, queen and worker across different bee species and it feels impossible to do field ID when they move so fast!

Megan Lynch

I've heard that using mulch on the ground makes problems for ground-nesting bees. Is that true? If so, what's the sweet spot on mulch use given that mulch really helps with sustainability (herbicide-free way of preventing weeds, also helps the soil retain water)?

Megan Skye

We live in the Pacific Northwest, and tried to unsuccessfully move a colony of Carniolan bees in our new hive. They all flew off! What happens to colonies like this? Are they okay? Is it okay to buy colonies of bees that are originally from other parts of the world?

Justine Doll

So exciting!! Bees are the best!! I’m currently completing my masters degree and I am studying plant pollinator interactions in Calgary Alberta. Specifically, how urbanization impacts these interactions and whether or not pollinators have a preference for native plants over introduced plant species. I am doing this all through community science via iNaturalist. I’ve seen some great research on pollinators preference for native plants come out of California. Are you able to speak more about this? Also any advice for a new bee scientist?

Megan

I'm gonna repeat what a bunch of other people are saying - how can I help native bees in my area? I live in an apartment, so no yard, but I do have a patio. I can do containers. Are there any plants I can plant that help bees and also can grow in a container? Also, are there plants that say "native bees only, invasive bees move along"? (N. Central Idaho if that matters)

Justine Doll

Are bee boxes and bee hotels actually helpful for native bees?

Justine Doll

Can you explain buzz pollination?

Jessie Dragon

Is there a definitive way to help native bees while not helping invasive ones as much? To try to help get proper populations up

Justine Doll

How far can native bees fly when they are foraging? What can cities do better in regards to urban planning to support native bees?

Ruthifer

FTQA! Also very excited about bees! My family had an old barn on our property dismantled and there was a wild honeybee colony in one of the walls. We called in professionals to have it moved out safely and it was such a cool process to watch, though I felt bad we had to relocate them! It involved applying smoke to the hive and then they collected the bees using a vacuum. We got to keep some of the leftover comb after the bees were moved, and it was delicious honey. Okay, questions! Some of my friends have small "bee houses," do only certain types of bees use those? Would you recommend using them? How do you feel about wasps? Do you have a favorite bee?

Chase Penix

Are there best practices for farmers to help preserve native bee populations without sacrificing crop yields? Or is that just a too good to be true scenario?

Matt Hirschl

For those places that lost their pollinating magic and are now manually pollinating with special little equipment, how screwed are we?

Charlotte Espeland

OOO I cannot wait! I also do bee photography and just have one question top of mind. I typically use iNaturalist to find patches of native flowers that I know to attract certain species in my area. However, I’d love to hear any other tips for finding good spots to photograph!

WillyB

We all know Yellow Jackets are assholes and Bumblebees and Honey Bees are relative sweethearts - are there any species of bee that approaches the assholery of a Yellow Jacket?

Elta Sparks

What is your favorite resource for children to show them that bees are important? It seems like no matter how often I tell my students the bees are good there's always someone that runs after them anyway 😭

Adam Weaver

So I've read that bee hotels are not ideal because they are designed for solitary bees and then attracts them all in one place, causing the spread of disease and parasites and putting them in one place for predators to take advantage. How can we safely provide bee housing?

MB

I've heard bee houses can be bad for bees because parasites can get in the wood. Is that true and what is the solution?

Danielle Zonis

Is it true that the bees are disappearing?

Alexandre Catulle

How to convince your partner that's it's ok to have bees in the garden?

GenusByGenus

This. And/or is there a way to keep a hive of native bees? Particularly in the Midwest. I don’t even care about being able to harvest honey, I just want to help boost the population.

Jean Caruso

Okay I'm a big Woosie when it comes to removing bees from the inside, but I don't want to kill them! My wife and I literally bargained with one once to try to get it to leave. How do you safely return bees outside?

Julia

Do regional bees have different regional bee dances? Where I live the bees all seem to have black butts but my boyfriend in Germany has white butted bees! Maybe their different butts lead to different butt shaking? FTQA

daniel schmaniel

what are some things urban apartment dwellers can do to help?

Kat DeBurgh

How do bees navigate? Do they use the Earth's magnetic fields? (Secretly asking because of a short story I'm writing about a generation ship traveling to another planet and I want to know if they can take bees, but also just curious.)

The Other Maya

How do I get the property management of my office building to get rid of Alveole?

Kai Kishimoto

I briefly worked in Dr Philip Starks lab at Tufts with paper wasps! I’d be curious to know more about how the queen controls fertilization of her eggs to get a drone or a worker

Nina Giacobbe

WHY ARE CARPENTER BEES SO CHONKY AND CUTE?!?!!!!

NanoNaturalist

Are there any interesting symbiotic shenanigans between North American bees and plants (similar to orchid bees)? I want to know the dark bee secrets.

Pavka34

Carpenter Bees! My understanding is that they don’t actually damage wood (much) and are important pollinators, is this true?

Jessica C

I'm in Vancouver and I have had native flowers on my 3rd floor condo balcony for about a month. So far, I've only had one bee visitor :( When will bees find my balcony?

lexinator

I'm a first time question asker so lmk if this isnt a good question.... Do bees have bee best friends and can I be best friends with a bee

JJ

If people are keeping honeybees, are those actively harming native bees, or do they get along like buzz buddies?

Pavka34

I also heard that only female carpenter bees have stingers, is this true? BTW, the males can be aggressive and “dive bomb” people (but no stinging) close to their homes, which is kind of funny.

Alex

At the nursery I see all kinds of labels on flowers saying they’re “bee-friendly.” Is this designation legit? What makes a flower specifically bee-friendly? Would these flowers attract lots of species of bees in general, or do they more likely cater to just one or two?

Kristen robb

Hi, big fan of bees. Are there any foods that we SHOULD or SHOULD NOT eat / avoid because of how they impact bees? Potentially a dumb question. Love you Alie

WildPackofDogs

Are there any bee species who live solitary lives or do all bees hive and stick to their communities?

Katie Hultman

Do you think Wallace's giant bee still exists? Have you gotten to name any bees? I'm also hoping to learn more about cookoo bees and the bees that drill holes in rock!

Pavka34

Last question (maybe), do bees scream? Full confession, years ago I sprayed a hole with a carpenter bee in it and I swear I heard a very high pitched scream. I still carry this guilt and then I leave them alone.

Amy Narimatsu

Please for the love of god how do we save the bees and convince other people that without them we will simply ~die~? I know planting native plants, not using insecticides/pesticides, and creating habitat corridors are essential but are there other ways we can save our smol friends?

Jacob Adam

Similar to the questions on bee hotels, are bee baths (bowls of water with rocks) actually useful/helpful?

Stephanie Coombes

How north do native bees live? Do they migrate or hibernate in the cold?

Pretty Bird

I've never asked a question before but I'm excited to ask this one: What's the deal with dandelions. Where I live in Montana, most people just hate on this invasive species while other people celebrate their importance as a pollinator species. So, are dandelions good for bees and also, what's a pollinator species? Thanks, Sara Boilen (as in, I'm so hot I'm Boilin')

The Other Maya

Background: I'm on a committee at my company (who is a part owner of our office building) that looks at sustainable practices and organizes educational events and volunteer-things. We got a pitch from Alveole, and for many reasons decided not to contract with them. Including but not limited to: employee safety and community resources for urban bee-keeping that are more equitable. They didn't take no for an answer and after being turned down three times, went to the property manager a year later and signed a contract without telling us. Did some research and found that for every point that Alveole has on "why bees are good" mason bees are better. There's no commercial product with mason bees, though. I also found in my research that Xerxes society names commercial bee keeping (European honey bees) as being one of the greatest threats to native bees. I presented this to management, but their hands were tied because the property management is a business partner of ours and also a part owner of the building.

The Other Maya

Also maybe a pseudonym would be good here. Maybe "MadAboutBees" 😂

Patricia Evans

I know they're not wild bees, but what does Krystal think about Mason Bees. Does it help or hurt the environment if you breed mason bees to pollinate your garden?

ReigningEmily

As someone with two honeybee hives in my backyard, is there anything I can do to provide for the solitary bees as well? Or is there a turf war happening beyond my notice and they don’t come in my yard?

Umair Khakoo (OO-mayor kha-KOO)

How do we balance cleaning up leaf litter in the fall and leaving homes for native bees that nest in the ground?

Heather Heater

I have three questions: (1) what words of wisdom do you have for those of us who love bees and planting pollinator habitats but are also severely allergic to bees? (2) I live in Oregon and we have mason bees. I've heard they are less venomous than other types of bees. Is that true? (3) why are bee buts and thighs covered in pollen so damn cute?

Helen

First time QA: What are your thoughts on the Bee Movie? How accurate is the science behind it? Is it true that "according to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly?" How have you noticed this ~~media phenomenon~~ affecting public interest/knowledge of bees? Do you love it? Hate it? Love it ironically?

Lydia Lambe

How do you collect bee pollen?

Lydia Lambe

How is honey made? I know bees collect flower nectar and take it back to their hive, but what's the process from there?

Lydia Lambe

What's the best way to start keeping your own bees? Order them in the mail? Or I've heard you can attract local bees to your own hive, so would trying to keep local bees be the best?

Megan Duffy

Do different bees have different flowers they prefer?

Alicia Morandi

How do I help me kid who is 6 and a "a little bit allergic to insect stings" (due to a prolonged hive reaction once) not freak out when he sees a bee? We have an EpiPen "just in case" but he isn't really that allergic and he basically screams when he sees any flying insect.

Nina Eve Z.

Please talk about why they burrow! How can I get them to live in the concrete cracks on my back patio?

Kpelliss

2nd 1st Q (forgot to note 1st Q): how do you deal with mites and moths? These seem to be the biggest issue when my husband over winters our bees....

Jenna Congdon

What are the best ways to build habitat for native bees in your yard, beyond planting native flowering plants and providing water with safe landing sites? I'm talking about those cute little bee houses you can buy or build, drilling holes into logs, etc. What sort of home does a native bee want? Anything else to offer them or avoid? I want to be friends with all the bees, please.

Jenna Congdon

And can you talk about the trend of planting non-grass lawns in an attempt to feed the bees? I have heard that many wildflower or clover lawns are less helpful than they may seem because they're not always native, or if you're mowing it there aren't many flowers anyway. Basically, what are the most bee-friendly moves a yard-haver can make? Is there anything someone who doesn't have their own property can do?

Nat Schaefer

Every spring, mason bees find their way through a wall vent and into my preschool daughter’s bedroom. These ones never seem to live long. We try rescuing them by taking them outside (or if it’s still very cold getting them fresh flowers and water). Any idea why this happens every year? Are they disoriented? Seeking shelter? Drunk? And why do they not usually live long after we find them?

Mark Rovner

NEWBIE: Aren't they all hybridized with African and other 'not from Amurrica' species?

Deacon Raid

Excited for this episode. I produce a small bug-themed podcast where we create super heroes inspired by insects (Bugs Need Heroes). An artist draws while the entomologist discusses their life histories. We did a power-rangers themed team of Super Bees! The goal is conservation and appreciation of nature and we changed at least one mind on the subject of Yellowjackets. My question would be about the Schmidt Pain Index. I’ve been stung by some sweat bees (on one of Merlin’s field trips actually!) and it was barely noticeable. Does Hickman have any thoughts on how others compare to the scale? Also I would like to hear about Cuckoo Bees/wasps and kleptoparasitism. We had an episode about how death’s head hawkmoths steal from honeybees, but I’m sure there are others. Also can we smell them all? I have been sniffing my Mason bees and haven’t noticed much.

Mark Rovner

Other than satisfying the prurient tastes of pervy entomologists, what are bee butt photos for?

Renee dyke

Just came here to say you should do an encore episode on Australian native bees! There’s like 300! (Or maybe 600, but I digress), many are stingless, many more are solitary, and they’re TINY. And adorable. And not enough people talk about them. So yeah, I’ll just leave this here 😊

Jenna Congdon

Okay ONE MORE question because I am just so ding dang excited about this. Why are bumblebees the effing cutest, and why do they allow me to pet them?!! I sneak up and ever so gently boop their fluff and they don't fly away and this makes me happy every time but why don't they fly off like any other type of bee would?

Valerie Bertha

Carpenter bees have no stingers why? My dogs think they are a great entertainment system.

Kent Durvin

I have drilled holes in scrap lumber (untreated) and it seems like many sizes get used. How deep do I need to drill, and when should I I redrill or discard them?

Mo

Is it true that eating honey made from local bees can alleviate pollen allergies or is that flimflam? If yes, how does that work? Does eating honey made from the pollen in your area somehow 'immunize' against them without triggering the allergy?

Nathalie Jones

Are there bees native to isolated islands (like Hawai'i and Madagascar say) and how do they get there???

Anna Eeeee

I have been WAITING for this ologies ever since I found out about it!! I’m so excited. I work in community ecology with native flowers and sometimes we see leaf-cutter bees stealing chunks of our flower petals and flying off with them. Can you talk about why they do this and what sort of petal furniture they are making with them??

Anna Eeeee

Can you talk about solitary bees and how they go about their business living all by their lonesome? Do they still have a hive to go home to? how do they find mates, raise young, or store food?

Chloe

How many bees species are there? Why are some friendly while others are aggressive right off the bat. Does that differ colony to colony or be bee itself?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

How are they doing vis-a-vis Colony Collapse Disorder? In general, are these species in better shape than the European honeybee, and should we even care about the fate of the European honeybee (not to be mean or anything)? Amy ZM

Anna Eeeee

PLEASE talk about the waggle dance honeybees do!!! It’s my favorite thing

Terena

How are native bees and “farmed” bees different and can we see the difference?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

Last summer I had burrowing bees under a flagstone in my garden, and they made me very happy. This year, they aren't there. Did I offend them? Do they just like moving from place to place? And aside from planting native species (which I do), what can I do to make my garden a great place for native bees? Amy ZM

Kris Blackthorn

Same here - they are totally eating my porch. I have sawdust everywhere from them. They are cute as fuck but I want them to eat something I am not living in!

Will

I saw a documentary once about how much honey is illegally imported and how it’s almost impossible to tell where honey is actually from. How can I be sure I’m actually buying local honey and not Chinese knock-off honey with a nice label?

Shai Clai

Hi Krystal! I need to know, in your opinion, what is the most unique native bee species, and what makes them special in the bumbler family?!

Kieran H

Why are bees so cute?!

Nick Mikash

Native bees are the best! Please talk about specialist bees and some of the plants we can help provide to keep them happy!

Andrew Insch

In your time photographing bees, have you ever come across an elephant mosquito (genus Toxorhynchites)? I'm working on a project to foster garden habitats for this beneficial mosquito species and am interested in any leads for what flowers they like.

Cate Muenker

Any way I can lure the carpenter bees away from my swing set and house? Are there any flower species that most bees enjoy? Or does each type of bee enjoy different flowers?

Erin Gunderson

How do bee mimics, like bee flies, affect our native bees?

Jennifer Anderson

What is the biggest threat to our native bees? Is there still hope for them and us? What can we do to protect them?

Jae Steinbacher

Are there any particular field guides you would recommend for IDing native bees? (And if it helps, for PNW natives?)

Madison Hunter

What is the tiniest bee species and what is the largest? Which bees are the most friendly?

Michelle Head

How else can I help my little native bee friends besides planting native, i have planted a whole garden of native plants and i’ve seen SO MANY native bee species but I’d love to help them more if possible.

Katie King

What can we do to help native bees? Are those bee motels and watering stations helpful, or can they cause more harm than good?

Michelle Head

oo yes i second this, id love to know good sources for native hymenoptera IDs

Katie King

How do we study bee vision? I know they can see patterns on flowers in wavelengths we can't see like ultraviolet, but how did we figure that out? What other research is being (being) conducted around this?

Haley K.

Whats the best way to avoid stings? I love them and want to plant things that’ll help them, but I know more bees = more chance of interaction = more chance of stings. And since most of them die if they sting that just sounds like a bad time for everyone. Help.

Katie King

Are there any other important ecological roles that bees play other than pollination?

Macnut Cookie

Yellow-faced bees in Hawaii are solitary bees (and ubber cuties), What is the ecological benefit of being solo when colonies provide safety and brood rearing? How do solitary bees like Yellow-faced bees find a partner when its time to get BUIZZY? How many solitary bees are there in a 1km radius?

Teesha Coot

What are the best native plants to plant to attract bees? If you have Australian options please 🙏

Annmarie Everhart

Why did honey bees evolve to die after they sting something? It doesn't seem there would be an evolutionary advantage to that trait for the individual, but is there for the hive?

Macnut Cookie

As a wildlife educator, What's a good suggestion to approach talking to kids and communities about promoting habitats for native bees over habitats that favor European honey bees?

Sydonie S.

Besides planting native plants, what is the best way to support native bee populations? I'm also all about No Mow May, mostly because I'm lazy, but how effective is this approach in supporting pollinators?

Suzanna Green

FTQA: what does the ologist think of the “bringing home a baby Bumblebee” song? We used that phrase as our baby announcement because we happen to live in a town called “Beeville” and even though it’s named after some dude and not the critter there’s a lot of bee-themed stuff around here including painted bee statues outside of lots of local businesses and the local community garden.

Heather Horton Whedon

What does Krystal admire most about bees? What about them holds a special place in her bee-studying heart?

Alex

Can you talk about how some bee species have SPURS? Besides riding around on little mini horses, what do they use them for?!

Quincey Robisheaux

should I be terrified of the big black fluffy bees that hang out in my area? Because they're crazy

Maya Roopnarine

how can bee-ginners learn to ID or tell different bees apart? what key features should we look for?

Al Hamm

FTQA: What are the ethical considerations of urban beekeeping? Does it have negative impacts on native pollinators?

Chris Moore

Across bee families, which are good pollinators? Which are not?

Chris Moore

What happens if you shave the fuzz off a bee? 😬

Erin Gunderson

How do bee mimics impact native species? Are they just looking alike most of the time, or are most of them like bee flies, laying their eggs in bumble nests to hatch and consume their unwitting hosts?

Gabrielle Mlagenovich

How can one go about safely relocating bees? Last year some bees started forming a nest on one of my rose bushes and we couldn’t figure out what to do, so my husband poisoned them. I feel terrible about it and don’t want a repeat story.

Ryan Brubaker

Is it true that male bees are Haploid? If so, what the heck? Why the heck even? Aren’t there consequences to only having one set of genes?

Colin

How important is native flora and habitat space to native bees? And what can we do to improve it?

Beth Fetterley Heller

I love honey! Which native bees make honey? And what does research say about the European honey bees impact on native bee populations?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

What do we think about bee hotels? They are super cute and I like the idea, but is it sort of pointless next to planting native pollinator plants? Also how do you make a like a Really Awesome bee hotel that they will love?

Eleonoora

Is there any way for me to attract Native bees to my backyard but not attract yellow jacket wasps?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Settle a debate: do native bees need to live in overwintering plant stalks specifically where they grew? would the plant stems be just as cozy to the native bees if you cut them and plop them on a winter compost pile?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Do native solitary bees make honey and do all the cool social stuff that honey bees do? Or nah to the social stuff because... solitary bee

Bookworm Erika

This may be a question more so about honey bees, not native, but, has anyone heard about the benefits of bee stings? I’ve read that the venom can be beneficial for certain ailments. This also sounds highly addictive for some people to get into!

Rosie S.

What are the most important things we can do to support native bee ecosystems?

Rachael Swenson

How do I best attract native bees to nest in my bee house? And is it helpful to them that I have one?

Sylvia Bosco

Are "Save the Bee" campaigns that focus on European honey bees actually bad for native bees?

Jelli Robinson

Do bees find us as cute as we find them?

Rachel von Morrigan

First time home owner! I’ve planted lots of flowers and wildflowers for the bees to enjoy, but I don’t know how else to help! I know there are local keepers and relocatin services and I would love to twnd a hive, but I have no idea where to start.

Jessica Smith

Do leaf cutter bees have a preference for which plants they use to build their little nurseries? Why are native bees like leaf cutters and bumble bees so much more chill than honeybees? Does the size of the average colony have any correlation with the complexity of pheromone signaling between individuals?

Ashley

Do you have any suggestions for dissuading carpenter bees from drilling holes in really inconvenient places? or what to do if a carpenter bee takes up residence? How much damage can they actually do? What is happening inside the hole?

McKenna Pace

1. Is the practice of raising your own honeybees detrimental to native bee populations? 2. I know many vegans who won't eat honey because harvesting honey takes away food for baby bees... Is this just flimflam? Is harvesting honey detrimental to the beehive in any way? Is eating honey cool? 3. Are bees nice?

Sara Rocero

Can we please discuss bumblebee look-alikes?! My partner and I found what appeared to be an orange-legged drone fly. We’re located in W. WA, so I’m curious if these are sparse (in a southern accent) around these parts.

Beto Gomez

How have bees shaped the evolution of the plants they pollinate?

Amanda

How do bees pick a queen?

Amanda

What do bees do with the honey they make?

Kelly Shaver

What should I plant in my garden as gifts for the tiny fluffy sky friends? Also, can I pet them when they visit?

Jani Rounds

Is it true that small bees can get stuck in milkweed flowers? Also how do you identify living bees like as they are flying? Is that even possible??

Dae

Are murder hornets still a concern? The news seems to have stopped talking about it, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone.

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

I love the chubby bees that come to my garden. Sometimes I find them sleeping inside flowers and nearly die with delight. How long are their naps? Do all bees nap in flowers? Where else might they rest? Should I make a safe resting place for them? I put out a small “bee motel” a couple years ago, but no one set up house in it as far as I could tell. Any recommendations on best native bee houses?

Sutton Moore

For beekeeping specifically: Do you recommend vaporization of Oxalic acid as a treatment for mites? What time intervals for multiple treatments and how much per deep box?

Andrea Devlin

Will bees actually use those nesting houses if you put them up in your yard?

Michelle Husko

Is it actually OK to boop carpenter bees if they get too close to you?

Elie Zwiebel

My partner, Laura Bruner (first time question asker), asked me to ask: Why are they so cute and lil?

The Aerial Mapper

First time question asker! I recently bought a salvia and lavender plant for my porch in an attempt to attract native bees but I haven’t seen any. Is there a particular season bees tend to pollinate flowers during?

Josie Chase

Do leaf cutter bees really share nests with spiders ? I’ve only seen one photo of it observed !

Josie Chase

How do solitary bees reproduce? Who looks after the larvae and baby bees ?

Josie Chase

My stepdad built an amazing bee house and ordered lots of native bees (in Australia) and they didn’t survive or stay in the box two times, what makes a successful man made hive and are man made hives for the purpose of biodiversity a good thing overall?

Lindsey

Where is the best place to look up native plants for pollinators?

ariel.vanzandt

I managed to finally attract Mason bees! I've had a little house for them for years and never had any takers. This year I noticed a swarm of them by the house and they filled it up! I got them two more houses and those are all full too! Now what do I do? Should I keep adding houses? Do I need to tend to them?

Storm

how do i attract native bees to my garden? we’ve started planting native plants (i live in Australia) and hoping the bees will come but they haven’t yet.

Storm

why are they so fluffyyyyy

Storm

how can you tell the difference between native bees and introduced ones? (first time question asker)

Storm

are introduced bees bad for the ecosystem/native bees? i know introduced species usually reck havoc on ecosystems, but would they not be filling the same niche?

Storm

why do bees just drop when it becomes dark? i had a bee get stuck inside once (at night) and once the lights were off it just dropped out of the air.

Phylicia Chandler

Are honey bees hurting/out competing our native bees?

Julia Bingham

I once had a carpenter bee hole up and try to live inside a pocket on a surfboard cover I had stashed on my (screened in) porch. I don't know how the little fuzzy friend got in to the porch space and I felt SO BAD having to kick them out of their cozy hole. Other carpenter bees were making homes under the edge of the porch & roof and seemed totally happy there - why might this little guy have picked a fabric space, and is there something I could build or buy and put out as like a little bee hotel for the ones who don't find a porch nook?? (first time question answer)

Fiorelily

As someone who has had mason bees in my yard before: do we need to harvest the cocoons bees and clear out parasites? If these were in the wild, they'd fall prey to the parasites, so isn't it better to leave them bee (yep, I did that) in their boxes? Like how much bee husbandry should we humans do?

Alice Rubin

is there individual consciousness or just collective?

Alice Rubin

why would bees evolve to die after they sting?

Sunni Mullenix

1. How do I prevent mosquitoes in my yard without harming bees? 2. What’s the deal with carpenter bees and why does the wood turn purple when they burrow into it?

Stephen Moxley

When I lived in the UK there were so many fat and fuzzy bees, but I live in Washington state now and hardly see bees like that. What is bee fuzz for and why can it vary so much so that some bees look like little puffballs and others look so lean?

Alaina Cruson

Are there native bee populations that have gone extinct due to invasive species or westernization?

Alaina Cruson

Are there indigenous peoples that rely on bees/honey as a food source or tool?

Alaina Cruson

What's the difference between a bee, a wasp, a yellow jacket, etc and where are they native to?

Alaina Cruson

Could you talk about the chemicals in a bee sting/ how the stinger falls off?

Teresa Gleason

I love bees, even though I have to carry an EpiPen “just in case”. Are NorCal native bees endangered by the invasive European honeybees? How can we support our native bees? Can they be happy in towns or just in the mountains where I see them when I’m hiking?

Don Elliot

Is a wasp a type of bee? If not, what makes a bee a bee?

Jen

So many questions... so many... How can I help the carpenter bees that are trying to make a home in my deck? I want them to stick around, but they don't seem interested in the bee house I put out. Are those a joke anyway? I JUST WANT MY MILKSHAKE TO BRING ALL THE BEES TO THE YARD! 😭

Jen

I kinda sorta want to get into keeping, but for something like Mason or Carpenter bees, are there better hives out there to attracted certain types of bees to your area?

Jen

I know some flowers are breed(?) to be pretty, and loose a lot of their pollin that bees are looking for. Is their a way to tell if the flowers at a garden center are going to be pollinator friendly, or if they are just a pretty, fake subsitute?

Jen

Also, just for Alie, I listened to the first bee episode right when we bought our house last fall, and it complete changed my perspective of bees and how I wanted to do our landscaping! I now greet my bees every morning and have so many plans for a pollinator garden! Thanks for bringing this one back around for some new info!! ❤️🐝❤️

Amy Nolland

What is the major difference between a ‘bee’ and a ‘native bee’?

rikspieks

I've heard that here in Germany native bees settle in closed coal mines. So how where native bee habitats disturbed the last decades and where could the find new (unexpected) habitats?

Julia Cape

Bee obsessed person here! 🐝 Are there any native species still surviving in North America? If so what is protecting them or benefitting them in those areas? Why do they swarm? Do they just get tired of their home and decide they need a 3 br/ 3 ba house with a better view or is it because their queen is ducked up and they need to riot? Not native bee related but where do bumble bees sleep? What are some exciting or surprising uses for propolis? Is royal jelly actually good for the skin or does it just sound super fancy so we obsess over it? Please tell us how bees keep their hives air conditioned in warm weather and heated in freezing climates 😍

Gretchen Schroeder

Do bee houses/nesting tubes actually help native bees?

Gretchen Schroeder

Are there any colony forming native bees (not wasps)?

Julia

What are the personalities of different bee species? I have a friend who swears the Italian bees are the friendliest.

Paige Menking

How can I support native bees throughout the winter and early spring? I live in a place where very little grows in the winter and not much flowers until mid to late Spring but want to do my best to have pollinators in my yard and garden as much of the year as possible.

Killer Tofu

Why do bees fly around me? I’m not a flower! :(

Rebecca Morrison

I love my local mason bees. How do I help them survive when houdini flies are always laying eggs in their box?

Rebecca Novick

If bees eat nectar or pollen from plants that are toxic to humans, can they produce toxic honey? How do beekeepers ensure their bees aren't pollinating a hidden grove of hemlocks or something?

ThyNameIsButter

How do I convince my family to change their boring grass lawn into something more bee friendly?

Amy Copler

I'm sure this will get talked about, but what harms native bees most? What are things I need to avoid to do my part to help protect the beebies?

Spike Parker

What's the deal with CCD? I remember it being a huge deal a few years ago, but not heard much about it since. Is it still a thing?!

Stephanie

FTQA! What’s the dynamic between native bees and nonnative bees? Do they just stay in their own lanes? Is there conflict between the two? Tiny bee wars?!

floraandthefaun

ftqa: how are native bees affected by the climate crisis? i'm thinking extreme weathers affecting their nesting spaces and food sources, but also changing geographical distribution of certain bees due to higher average temperatures. also, my grandma has a xylocopa violacea visit her garden every year. and i just wanted to say how pretty it is. 💜

Allie Brown

How did non-native bees get here and how can we tell who is who? And what’s the difference in pollination amount?

AJ Gray

What are the various places that Bees tend to make their nests and how do we help protect those?

Lorenzo Cormier

How does one balance the use of mulch for pest prevention on plants with leaving nesting places for ground-nesting bees in our gardens and even other managed green spaces?

Susana Capucho

When I was doing my MA in Drawing I had the opportunity to learn about a huge variety of bees and illustrate them. I was fascinated when I discovered that there are a ton of different-looking bees that I'd assume were wasps or ants or other random bugs. It was eye-opening. So my question is; besides bumblebees and honey bees, are there any species that look particularly interesting to you? I personally like Xylocopa violacea's iridescent wings and Ceratina's blue/green hues 😊

MacKenna Butler

What brands should we avoid when buying honey and does supporting local honey products always support the bees in some way?

Glenn Lily

Who says you aren't a flower?!??!!!!

Glenn Lily

also backwards unicorns, i believe

Scarlet P

What is the smallest native bee? Are all native bees yellow like the stereotype, or are there other colored bees?

Mary of the Grapefruit

Ok!!! I garden and the big carpenter/bumbles seem to remember me? They come up and look at faces and if I stand there talking nicely, they just buzz off (🥁) After that, they just fly around and seem to say hi. They also chase the kids, until I convinced the kids to be chill

Felicia Stelsel

Why do bees produce honey and what is it good for?

Max G

What’s the most elaborate and/or interesting native bee structure she’s encountered? (First-time question asker!)

Laurel Sindewald

I heard from a researcher at Denver Museum of Nature and Science that keeping European honey bees outside of the context of a farm where they are helpful for pollinating crops they co-evolved with (say, in your back yard in a city or suburb) can be harmful to native bees. The honey bees are generalists and can out-compete the native bees for resources. Is this true? Should we avoid keeping bees if we aren't farmers?

Sadie Vipond

What is the dancing??!! How do they communicate stuff with dances???

Sadie Vipond

Also do bees have awesome vision to be brought in by the flower colours?

Holden A. Goose

this might be a stupid question, but is the decline of native bees related to the decline of butterflies? I noticed the growing absence of butterflies ever since the bees in my neighborhood disappeared :(

Silent H

Do all bees live in colonies of some sort, or are some solitary?

Kailee Poe

I would love to know how to plant a native bee friendly yard. Thank you so much for being a science communicator ❤️

Melissa Kane

Are some species more effective pollinators?

Melissa Kane

Why are their wings so curved? If a wing gets damaged, will it heal?

Nita Chen

Greetings, Where did the term "bee's knees" come from? Do they have astounding knees?

Nita Chen

Greetings, What kind of colors can bees see? Do they see beyond the human color spectrum? Do they dream in color?

Shannon Smith

How good is a bees eyesight? I was recently at an outdoor event sitting on a wooden bench and a carpenter bee was hovering close by. Obviously I was sitting on his house/project as there were small piles of sawdust around. This bee would come within about 8” of my face and hover, then take off. Was it actually looking at me and sizing me up? This occurred many times over the course of a couple of hours.

Olivier Calas

How disturbing is global warming to bee populations. Spring now tend to come very early although it doesn’t mean the end of frosts, sending wrong signals to pollinators…

Joe Wilkie

what sort of lawn is the best compromise for bees and humans? is it possible to get honey from keeping native bees? what’s the oldest bee species on the planet?

Shannon Smith

If you are a beekeeper and you move, say to a different state, should you move your bees with you, sell them to someone local or release them? Curious about what is best for the bees.

Annmarie Everhart

Does local honey actually help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms?

Jakin Yang

Hi, bit of a long question but.... I used to be a tree planter up in northern BC (Canada), and in the spring and summer I would see absolute butt loads of bumble bees everywhere. If there's a flower there's about a handful of bumble bees on it. I now live in Vancouver, and though I see an obscene number of flowers everywhere, I don't see any bumble bees. 1. Is this a problem? 2. I understand that cities may have less habitat for native bumblebees but is there a way that I personally can help and create habitat or house bumble bees? 3. How can cities increase their native bee (like bumble bees) populations?

Rachel Rose

When is it safe to clean up last season’s dead stems and stalks and foliage from our gardens so as not to disturb the native bees that use them for nesting? Should we even be cleaning them up or should some be left year round?

Katherine Wood

What makes honey from different places taste different?

Jake Morgan

Why do bumble bees die over winter while honeybees are able to make it through the winter?

Kelsey lore

Hi! I have heard that when keeping bees you have to be diligent about the hygiene of the hive. Do bees in the wild just maintain their own hive hygiene better? Or do bees fare better when kept by people?

Carolyn Myers

Speaking of bee butts, do bees really fall asleep in flowers with their cute butts sticking out?? I have seen pics on Instagram but they seem way too cute to be real….. I really hope they are real!

Jessi B

I own a preschool and we are always looking for ways to get natural items like hives and dead bees in our class to safely observe up-close. Do you recommend a way to ethically and sustainably collect from nature?

Mercedes Maitland (Lead editor, Ologies)

Humans' deep love of honey was made so clear to me throughout my anthropology degree (to the point where I think loving honey above all other foods is one of the main uniting features of all human societies that live in the right climates for bees... which is almost all of them). So if there are bees making honey just about everywhere, how did we end up relying so much on one species from one specific part of the world??

Halle Becker

Are there any similarities in what honey bees forage on and what native bees forage on?

roboddities

Is it true that eating honey local to an area you are hanging out in helps your body deal with that area's allergens? Like this year my springtime allergies have been basically nonexistent and I wonder if it's a placebo thing or a real thing to correlate that with my voracious consumption of a delicious local honey brand.

Cnidarian Knight

Hi very excited to learn about the native bees that people don’t know of (I’m in southern NH btw) but really, how much more fucked are the native bees than the honey bees everyone worries about?

Cnidarian Knight

Hi very excited to learn about the native bees that people don’t know of (I’m in southern NH btw) but really, how much more fucked are the native bees than the honey bees everyone worries about?

Chelsea Evans

What happens with the bees in the winter? Do they do a hibernation pajama party all winter, or do they freeze into little icy bee nuggets that thaw out in the spring?

Elisabeth

In what ways are Bee populations being helped to become resistant to diseases, to bring them back from near extinction? Is there a growing trend in letting lawns flower, grow taller, to give Bees early summer food? Are Bees still declining, or have they started to come back? Is there only one species of honey bees, or several? Where are Bees, in the country, suburbs, towns or even city's? I live in a town and let my lawn flower

Elisabeth

Along with dandy lions, clover & many flowers to attract Bees, & Butterflies, but I have not seen Bees yet. Are they there, only I don't see them?

Clay Mohrman

2 parter! Firstly, what did North American agriculture and pollination look like pre European introduction of the honey bee? Secondly, how has the proliferation and reliance on European honey bees impacted native bee species?

Lau

Are albino bees real? Or just fairies playing dress-up 😜?

Deanna Roberson

Are native bees easy to identify? Honey bees are easily identified, but do native bee species sometimes look more like a wasp?

Jess Vice

No questions. Just a fellow bee butt lover and backyard beekeeper here ready to geek out on my fave subject! ✨🖤🐝💛

Jess Vice

Boosting this question!

Jess Vice

Jessi, find your local beekeepers. They always have comb, propolis, pollen, brood, honey, dead bees, live bees, dead yellow jackets, you name it and often don’t know what to do with it all.

Alina DeVoogd

Why does applying meat tenderizer help with bee stings? My mom always packed it in my first aid kit just in case I got stung

Tiffa

First time question asker! I live in the Netherlands and we have these cute bees that live in the ground (in addition to the other fun bees). Do they also make honey and how can I make my yard more hospitable to them (since they are so ding dang cute)? 🐝

Michael Wilbur

Why are the native bee populations declining?

Brian Linton

Is it true that physics says that bumblebees should not be able to fly? If that is true then how, because as I watch the chubby little bumblers working every clover flower in my yard, it's pretty obvious they don't give two shits about physics...

Between Dumplings

When I see bees with what look like furry chaps - these are bees’ pollen collection receptacles, right? Do their legs work like those sticky lint rollers and catch what they run against? Or are they actually shoving pollen in pockets?

Courtney Leftwich

Obsessed with bees! How do bees communicate within the hive? Can they sense (as a huge) a predator coming or is it the most adorable little game of telephone to warn the others?

Justin Schilling

Which native bees populations are most at risk?

kxpqzt

We always leave plant stalks up over the winter for bees, but are wondering if it's better/worse to cut them and bundle them up horizontally. Do they need vertical overwintering sites or is it more about the size of the stalk itself?

Shannon O'Grady

I want to love the bees so much. I plant numerous native flowers and pollinating bees make my heart sing! However, they still chase after me and I don't want my yard to be a stressful place! How do I manage this delicate balance?

AlysonMB

OK but it's moths as secret-agent nocturnal pollinators lately, and flies as unloveable but necessary proles. Aren't bees just the charismatic megafauna of pollinators, along w butterflies?

Gemma

Are non native bees bad for their non native habitat? Or is it a general rule that bees = good