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<h1><b><a href="http://www.dispatch.com/">The Columbus
</a><a href="http://www.dispatch.com/">Dispatch</a></b></h1><b>Be friend,
not enemy, to helpful bumblebee<br><br>
</b>Sunday, August 23, 2009 3:26 AM <br><br>
By <a href="mailto:cdecker@dispatch.com">CINDY DECKER</a><br>
<br>
If my commitment to protect all animals were ever to waver, it would have
happened the instant a bumblebee jammed her stinger into my cheek.
<br><br>
The attack -- in my opinion -- was unprovoked, although clearly she did
not agree.<br><br>
Bumblebees are fairly tolerant, operating under a policy of "Live
and let live." They won't bother you unless you bother
them.<br><br>
Admittedly, the day before the attack, I had bothered the bees, although,
in my defense, it was unintentional.<br><br>
My property has some significant depressions that I want to level before
planting shrubs in the fall.<br><br>
But bumblebees -- one of our native pollinators -- had nested in the
ground in one of the low spots without my realizing it, and they did not
appreciate shovelfuls of dirt landing on their home.<br><br>
Several angry bees chased me away. When one stung my calf, I wisely
abandoned my rut-filling.<br><br>
Fast-forward to the following afternoon, when I wanted to garden again,
despite a swollen, itchy calf. I planned to work somewhat near the bees
but leave their home alone.<br><br>
One bee immediately went on guard. Thinking she wasn't serious with her
aerial maneuvers, I ignored her.<br><br>
She got my full attention with a stinger to the face.<br><br>
Thus persuaded, I ceded the yard to the bees.<br><br>
Although they have made my life a little more complicated, the bees --
probably the common bumblebee, <i>Bombus impatiens</i> -- will be allowed
to live out their days in their current nest. All will be well if I allow
them their bit of the world.<br><br>
Sadly, they don't have long to live. The queen and her workers will die
when cold weather comes.<br><br>
Only a few new queens will overwinter, going into hibernation under bits
of bark or in soft earth.<br><br>
When the weather warms in the spring, the queens will seek out their own
homes and begin building colonies. It's a slow process, and by summer's
end, a big colony might have only 200 bees. (By contrast, a honeybee hive
might have 40,000 bees or more.)<br><br>
Much has been made about the plight of the honeybee in recent years.
Under attack from mites and devastated by the mysterious colony collapse
disorder, honeybees are on the decline, which threatens our food supply
because they are essential pollinators.<br><br>
But bumblebees, too, are on the decline, said Scott Hoffman Black,
executive director of the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates.<br><br>
And, like honeybees, bumblebees are important pollinators, especially for
crops such as tomatoes and peppers.<br><br>
"We are seeing very big declines in two of our Eastern
bumblebees," Black said. "One is the yellow-banded (<i>Bombus
terricola</i>); the other is <i>Bombus affinis</i>, the rusty-patched
bumblebee."<br><br>
Scientists also see declines in two closely related Western
species.<br><br>
Although experts aren't certain, they think that a disease was introduced
when native bees that had been taken to Europe in the 1990s for breeding
were reintroduced into the United States.<br><br>
Other bumblebee populations are also falling, Black said, because of
habitat loss and pesticide use.<br><br>
Homeowners who find a nest in their yard should leave it, say experts,
including those at the Ohio State University Extension and the National
Wildlife Federation.<br><br>
Even if the nest is in a prominent location, perhaps near a porch or
sidewalk, "You can go past most bumblebee nests without them
bothering you," said Matthew Shepherd, senior conservation associate
with the Xerces Society. "You have to treat a bee pretty roughly to
be stung with any kind of vengeance."<br><br>
If you have a nest in an area where you mow, mow early in the morning,
said Barb Bloetscher, an entomologist diagnostician with OSU.<br><br>
And don't swat at the bees.<br><br>
"The more you swat, the more angry they get," she
said.<br><br>
If you must discourage a nest, the best way is to cover the hole with a
bucket or tarp, she said. There is no need for gasoline or any other
killing remedies you might see online.<br><br>
Because of bees' importance, homeowners are encouraged to help
pollinators.<br><br>
"Anyone can do it," Black said, "whether you have
flowerpots or you manage large plots of land."<br><br>
His advice:<br><br>
• Provide a diversity of flowers that bloom throughout the growing
season, providing a constant supply of food.<br><br>
"Native (plants) work best," he said, "but you don't have
to be a native purist."<br><br>
Many of the plants that are good for bees are also good for other
species, such as butterflies and hummingbirds.<br><br>
Here are a few to consider: asters, giant hyssop, ironweed, lobelia,
milkweed, monarda,obedient plant, penstemon and spiderwort.<br><br>
• Allow bees a place to nest. Black said this might mean leaving part of
the yard a little messy. He said he has seen bees nest under a
woodpile.<br><br>
He also has seen them nest in a compost pile that wasn't turned
regularly.<br><br>
"They are opportunists," he said. "Be tolerant if you do
find them nesting."<br><br>
• Most important, don't use pesticides.<br><br>
So, this year, give bees a chance.<br><br>
<br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
*************************<br>
Scott Hoffman Black<br>
Ecologist/Entomologist<br>
Executive Director<br>
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation<br>
4828 SE Hawthorne <br>
Portland, OR 97215 <br>
Direct line (503) 449-3792<br>
sblack@xerces.org<br><br>
<i>The Xerces Society is an international, nonprofit organization that
protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their
habitat. <br>
</i> <br>
To join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work, <br>
please visit
<a href="http://www.xerces.org/">www.xerces.org</a>.<br><br>
<br>
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