N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Enhancing Farm Landscapes for Native Bees Michigan Natural Landscapes and Improved Crop Pollination Provide Rufus Isaacs - Biodiversity & - Pest suppression Julianna Tuell - Pollination Department of Entomology Michigan State University Michigan Small Farms Conference Grayling, MI Prairie Oak savanna January 27, 2007 Pollination Michigan Agricultural Landscapes • The transfer of pollen from the stamen to the stigma and subsequent fertilization of the ovary. Provide Self pollination - Biodiversity - Pest suppression - Pollination Annual crops Orchards Cross pollination Most fruits and vegetables are dependent on bees for pollination 87 of the leading global foods are pollinated by insects 35% of human food is insect pollinated Over 20,000 species of bees in the world This includes…. apple, sweet cherry, tart cherry, pear, peach, blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, melon, squash, sunflower, tomato, clover, cucumber, etc. R. Isaacs, Dept. Entomology, MSU 1 N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Honey Bee Digger (Andrena) Bees • emerge in early spring • require pre-bloom floral resources (willow, wild cherry, elderberry, etc.) •soil nesting • Main commercial pollinator • In US, annual value of honey bee pollination = $14.6 billion Bumble bees Sweat Bees (Halictids) 2nd most important, • emerge in mid-spring globally • require post-bloom floral resources •soil nesting Why even consider Bumble Bees native bees? • collect pollen by buzz-pollination • Some native bees are efficient crop pollinators. • queens emerge in early spring • workers emerge later in the spring • Native bees are adapted to local spring weather. • require flowers through the season • Some native bees emerge in synchrony with specific crops to pollinate them exclusively. • nest in insulated cavities in the ground • Long term sustainability of pollination. • colonies can be purchased to increase • May be considered ‘pollination insurance’. bumblebee numbers during bloom • Most of them are free! R. Isaacs, Dept. Entomology, MSU 2 N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Mason (Osmia) Bees Native Bees on Blueberry Flowers % bees No. of carrying % pollen • emerge in early spring bees Vaccinium load from • require early season flowers Family Species or Group sampled pollen Vaccinium Andrenidae Andrena carolina 54 85% 95% • use mud to divide nests built in stem and beetle-galleries Andrenidae Andrena carlini 28 61% 47% • some are managed commercially Andrenidae other Andrena spp. 22 9% 39% (apple and cherry production) Halictidae Halictine spp. 13 69% 56% • ongoing NW Michigan tests of Colletidae Colletes spp. 6 83% 67% Osmia cornifrons in Balaton cherry www.kv.geo.uu.se/pollen/V/Vaccinium-type.html Andrena carolina Bees with pollen in Blueberry pollen a pan trap How you manage your farm will affect Other Native Bees the ability of native bees to prosper • Carpenter bees In a survey of 15 Michigan blueberry farms, the following management factors affected native bee abundance: Increased by: unmown ditches around fields meadows near fields Photo: Jeff Evans Decreased by: • Cellophane bee more frequent insecticide application N intense field perimeter management Ô Tuell & Isaacs, unpublished data What Native Bees are Present What Do Native Bees Need? During Blueberry Bloom? N Ô • Food resources – Nectar and pollen resources before and after crop bloom cellophane mason bees bees 1% bumble bees •Nesting resources 1% and carpenter bees – Patches of semi-bare ground 8% – Undisturbed vegetation/thatch – Nesting boxes or straws sweat bees – Access to mud or plant material 45% • Habitat free of bee-toxic pesticides andreniddigger beesbees 45% Pan trapping 2x during bloom at 15 farms in 2004, 2005, 2006 R. Isaacs, Dept. Entomology, MSU 3 N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Why are extra food resources needed? Exotic Plants Exotic plants • Crop bloom period may be short, depending on the number of crops/cultivars on a particular farm. Benefits – Reliable seed or plant sources • Many native bee life cycles extend beyond crop bloom. – Large agronomic database = Spring fruit bloom – Prolific/sustained floral display Mason bees – Previous success in other locales Digger bees Sweat bees Disadvantages Bumble bee queens – Do not enhance native biodiversity Bumble bee workers – Potentially invasive April May June July Aug Sept Pre-bloom food resources Native Plants Native plants • Woody plants found in adjacent Benefits habitat: – Enhance native biodiversity –field edges –ditches – Re-creation of imperiled habitats – treelines. – Less likely to be invasive – Adapted to local climate – Provide habitat permanency Bloom Timing of Native Plants Attractive to Beneficial Insects Post-bloom food resources natural enemies and bees Natural Bloom Period Native plant enemies Bees May Jun JulAug Sep Oct wild strawberry •Herbaceous plants in golden Alexanders – buffer strips Canada anemone penstemon –ditches angelica cow parsnip – other adjacent habitat. sand coreopsis shrubby cinquefoil Indian hemp late figwort swamp milkweed Culver's root yellow coneflower nodding wild onion meadowsweet yellow giant hyssop KEY horsemint good Missouri ironweed better cup plant best pale Indian plantain boneset blue lobelia pale-leaved sunflower Riddell's goldenrod New England aster smooth aster East Lansing, MI. 2004-5 R. Isaacs, Dept. Entomology, MSU 4 N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) Penstemon (Penstemon hirsutus) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: Chalcid wasps Chalcid wasps, minute pirate bug • Bees: • Bees: sweat bees, small carpenter bees small and large carpenter bees, bumble bees • Bloom: mid-late May • Bloom: late May - mid June Sunlight Sunlight sun Range shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: Chalcid wasps, dance flies Chalcid wasps, dance flies, minute pirate bug • Bees: • Bees: yellow-faced bees, Andrenid bees, sweat bees sweat bees, cuckoo bees • Bloom: late May - mid June • Bloom: early June Sunlight Sunlight sun Range shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, dance flies, Chalcid wasps, minute pirate bug Chalcid wasps • Bees: • Bees: sweat bees yellow-faced bees, sweat bees • Bloom: throughout June • Bloom: mid June Sunlight Sunlight sunRange shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet R. Isaacs, Dept. Entomology, MSU 5 N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Sand coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) Late figwort (Scrophularia marilandica) • Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, predatory thrips • Natural enemies: dance flies • Bees: • Bees: sweat bees yellow-faced bees, sweat bees, bumble bees • Bloom: June - August • Bloom: late July – early August Sunlight Sunlight sunRange shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) • Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, Chalcid wasps, • Natural enemies: spiders, dance flies Chalcid wasps, dance flies • Bees: • Bees: yellow-faced bees, sweat bees yellow-faced bees, sweat bees, large carpenter bees; also highly attractive • Bloom: July - September to honey bees • Bloom: mid July – mid August Sunlight Sunlight sunRange shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) Culver’s-Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: dance flies, Chalcid wasps, crab minute pirate bug spiders, lady beetles • Bees: • Bees: yellow-faced bees, sweat bees sweat bees, small carpenter bees, bumble bees; also highly attractive to • Bloom: late June - July honey bees • Bloom: late July – early August Sunlight Sunlight sun Range shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet R. Isaacs, Dept. Entomology, MSU 6 N. Michigan Small Farms Conference 2007 Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) Yellow giant hyssop (Agastache nepetoides) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, predatory plant Chalcid wasps, minute pirate bug, spiders, dance flies, Chalcid bug, spiders wasps • Bees: • Bees: sweat bees, digger bees, yellow-faced bees, sweat bees, cuckoo bees, small and large bumble bees carpenter bees, bumble bees • Bloom: throughout August • Bloom: late July - mid August Sunlight Sunlight sunRange shade sun Range shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet Nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum) Horsemint (Monarda punctata) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, crab spiders soldier beetle, predatory plant bug • Bees: • Bees: sweat bees, bumble bees; also highly large carpenter bees, digger bees, attractive to honey bees bumble bees • Bloom: throughout August • Bloom: throughout August Sunlight Sunlight sunRange shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) Ironweed (Vernonia missurica) • Natural enemies: • Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, Chalcid wasps Chalcid wasps •Bees: • Bees: yellow-faced bees, Andrenid bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees, cuckoo sweat bees, bumble bees bees, small carpenter bees, bumble bees •Bloom: throughout August • Bloom: throughout August Sunlight Sunlight sunRange shade sunRange shade Moisture Moisture dry Range wet dry Range wet R.