The buzz about native bees with Dr. Michelle Fearon

Many of the key factors, including habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and increased spread of infectious diseases, that have led to recent honey bee losses are also contributing to broad declines in native bee biodiversity and population sizes. Native bees are surprisingly important pollinators of native plants and crops, and as a group they represent an incredible amount of diversity in the essential roles they play in our ecosystems. However, these interacting factors that contribute to bee declines can sometimes have variable impacts on specific native bee species depending on their flower specialization, degree of sociality, and other key ecological traits.