Pollinator Conservation on Small Farms by Nancy Adamson at CFSA12 on 26-28 Oct 2012 (cfsa12)

Pollinator Conservation
on Small Farms (Part I)

Nancy Lee Adamson
Pollinator Conservation Specialist
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation &
USDA-NRCS East National Tech Support Center
Photo: Nancy Adamson

What is the Xerces Society?

Since 1971, the Society has worked to protect
wildlife through the conservation of
invertebrates and their habitat.
Xerces blue butterfly
(Glaucopsyche xerces),
the first U.S. butterfly to
go extinct due to human
activities.

Photos: California NRCS and Ed Ross

Pollinator Conservation Program

Conservation, education, research, and
advocacy for pollinators and their habitat.

Photos: Paul Jepson; Matthew Shepherd; Heidi Ballard

What is the Xerces Society?

Endangered species Pollinator conservation

Aquatic conservation Butterfly conservation

Photos: Joel Sartore, Matthew Shepherd, Carly Voight, David Funk

Pollinator Conservation on Small Farms Outline

Part I: Importance of
•  Importance of pollinators
•  Native bee diversity
•  Other benefits of enhancing
biodiversity: predators &
parasitoids
Part II: Managing Farms
for Pollinators (& Other
Beneficials)
•  Pollinator habitat and
conservation
•  Protecting our insect allies in
sustainable farm systems
•  Planting & maintenance tips
•  Additional resources
sunflower bee
on oxeye sunflower

The Importance of Pollinators


Pollination and Human Nutrition

Food that depends on insect pollination
•  35% of crop production, worldwide
•  Over $18 to $27 billion value of crops in
U.S. ($217 billion worldwide)
•  One in three mouthfuls of food and drink
we consume

Morse RA, Calderone NW. 2000. The value of honey bees as pollinators of U.S. crops in 2000. Bee Culture 128: 1–15.
Klein et al. 2007. Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proc. R. Soc. B 274: 303-313. Photo: USDA-ARS/Peggy Greb

Annual Values of Insect Pollinated Crops

•  Alfalfa seed & forage = > $7 billion
•  Apple = Over $1.5 billion
•  Almond = Over $1.1 billion
•  Berries = Over $2.5 billion
•  Canola, soybean, cotton = ???

Photo: Sarah Greenleaf

Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther (male) to
stigma (female) of the same or another flower.

•  Self-pollination: transfer
within a flower or flowers
of the same plant
•  Cross-pollination:
transfer between plants
bumble bees, •  Self-fertile: don’t require
Bombus impatiens
on squash
cross-pollination, but
quality and yield improve
with cross-pollination


Importance of Pollinators: SC Agriculture*

South Carolina crop production
•  Peaches 2nd biggest US producer $98 mill.
•  Soybeans & cotton $235 mill.
•  Tomatoes & watermelon in top 10 US producers
(with other fruits & vegetables > $150 million)
* 2010 NASS

Importance of Pollinators: NC Agriculture*

long-horned bee
Melissodes bimaculata
on cucumber

High value crops Improved yield with
pollinated by bees cross-pollination
•  Blueberries $66 mill. •  Soybeans $469 mill.
•  Strawberries $27 mill. •  Cotton $451 mill.
•  Apples $27 mill. •  Cotton seed $66 mill.
•  Cucurbits $10 mill. •  Tomatoes $53 mill.

* 2011 NASS

Importance of Pollinators: Georgia Agriculture*

Georgia crops depending
on insect pollination:
•  Blueberries $93 mill.
•  Watermelon $88 mill.
•  Cucumbers $36 mill.
•  Cantaloupe $31 mill.
•  Peaches $31 mill.
Crops with improved yield:
•  Cotton $1 bill.
•  Cotton seed $161 mill.
•  Soybeans $35 mill.

* 2011 NASS

Photos: Steve Javorek (Agriculture
Canada); Scott Bauer (USDA ARS)

Bugs Drive the System

Benefits to Other
Wildlife:

•  Pollinator-produced
fruits and seeds
comprise 25% of
the global bird and
mammal diets

•  Pollinators are food Photo: Nancy Adamson
for wildlife

•  Pollinator habitat is
Mace Vaughan
directly compatible
with the needs of
other wildlife, such
as songbirds

© Sierra Vision Stock Photo: Nancy Adamson

Insect Pollinators Are Ecological Keystones

More than 85% of flowering plants
require an animal, mostly insects,
to move pollen.

Ollerton, J., R. Winfree, and S. Tarrant. 2011. How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?
Oikos 120: 321-326. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x.
Potts, S.G., J.C. Biesmeijer, C. Kremen, P. Neumann, O. Schweiger, and W. E. Kunin. 2010. Global
pollinator delines: trends, impacts and drivers. Trends in Ecology and Evoluntion. 25(6): 345-353. Photo: Eric Mader

Meet the Pollinators: Butterflies

© Douglas Tallamy (Unv of Delaware)

Meet the Pollinators: Butterflies

Photo: Jennifer Hopwood

Meet the Pollinators: Moths

Photo: MJ Hatfield

Meet the Pollinators: Flies

Photo: Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)

Meet the Pollinators: Beetles

© David Inouye

Meet the Pollinators: Wasps

great golden digger wasp
on dogbane


Bees: The Most Important Pollinators

Bees are the most agriculturally important pollinators
•  Bees actively collect and transport pollen
•  Bees exhibit flower constancy
•  Bees regularly forage in area around nest

mining bee, Andrena sp.,
on apple


Honey Bees: Colony Collapse Disorder

Annual losses…
Pre-CCD (1995-2006):
15% - 22% per year
Post-CCD (2006-today):
29% - 36% per year


Some Bumble Bees in Decline
Franklin’s Yellowbanded
Likely due to
introduced disease:

Four sister species of
bumble bees in
decline

© Peter Schroeder © Leif Richardson

Western Rusty patched

Evans, E.,R. Thorp, S. Jepsen, and S.
Hoffman Black, 2009. Status Review of Three
Formerly Common Species of Bumble Bee in
the Subgenus Bombus. Xerces Society.

Cameron et al. 2011. Patterns of widespread
decline in North American bumble bees.
PNAS.

Colla and Packer. 2008. Evidence for decline
in Eastern North American bumble bees
(Hymenoptera: Apidae), with special focus on
Bombus affinis Cresson. Biodivers Conserv. © Pat Michaels © Jen Knutson

Bumble Bee Citizen Monitoring Project

© Leif Richardson

The yellow banded bumble bee has declined from many parts of its historic range in
the past decade

Xerces citizen monitors have contributed 7 confirmed records of this species

Bumble Bee Citizen Monitoring Project

© Jen Knutson

The rusty-patched bumble bee has declined dramatically from its historic range

Xerces citizen monitors contributed 12 confirmed records of this species, including
records at the edges of its range in Minnesota and Massachusetts

Pollination and Crop Security

What does all this mean for
the sustainability of crop
pollination?

Photo: Business Week

Pollination and Crop Security

Even as bees decline, crop acreage requiring bee pollination grows
From 1961 to 2006 percent of global cropland requiring bee pollination
rose 300% in total acreage (world population grew from 3 to 7 billion)

Aizen, M. A. and L. D. Harder. 2009. The global stock of domesticated honey bees is
growing slower than agricultural demand for pollination. Current Biology 19(11):915-918. Photo: Nancy Adamson

Crop Pollination: Important to Diversify

Fewer honey bees available
•  Important to support diverse
pollinators for agriculture
•  Important to strengthen
habitat and pesticide
protection for bees
(honey & native)

bumble bee
on squash

The Economic Value of Native Bees

Hundreds of species of native
bees contribute significantly to
crop pollination.
•  $3 billion/year

Losey, J. and M. Vaughan. 2006. The Economic Value of Ecological
Services Provided by Insects. Bioscience 56 (4). Photos: USDA-ARS/Scott Bauer & Edward McCain

Native Bee Diversity in Agriculture

Diverse native bees pollinating crops: bumble bee on blueberry

•  100+ species visit apples in GA, NY and PA
•  100+ species visit blueberry in Michigan
•  100+ species visit WI cranberries
•  80+ species visit berry crops in New England
•  60+ species visit CA tomato, sunflower, or watermelon

Native Bees Providing All Pollination Needs

In 90% of farms studied in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, wild native bees provided all
pollination needed for watermelon.

Winfree, R. et al.. 2008. Wild bee pollinators provide the majority of crop visitation across land-use gradients in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, USA. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:793-802. Photo: Rachael Winfree

Native Bee Abundance in Crops

SW VA Study 2008–9: Three quarters of flower visitors were native bees
–

Adamson, N.L., T. H. Roulston, R. D. Fell, D. E. Mullins. 2012. From April to August—wild bees pollinating
crops through the growing season in Virginia, USA. Environmental Entomology 41 (4):813–821. Photos: Nancy Adamson

Native Bee Diversity

North America is home to about
4,000 species of native bees;
~700 in the east in 66 genera.

sweat bee on blue vervain,
Verbena hastata Photo: Nancy Adamson

Benefits of Native Bees in Crops

Native bees are very efficient:
• Active earlier & later in the day
• Collect both pollen & nectar
• Buzz pollinate

mining bee
on blueberry

Native Bee Efficiency in Crop Pollination

Example: Blue Orchard Bee
•  250 to 750 females/acre vs.
1 to 2.5 hives of honey bees
(~10,000 bees/hive)/acre
•  Make contact with anther and
stigma on almost every visit
•  Active at low light levels and low
temperatures
•  33+ hours foraging in 5 days
•  15+ hours by honey bees

Bosch, J. and W. Kemp. 2001. How to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee as an Orchard
Pollinator. Sustainable Agriculture Network. Beltsville, MD. 88 pp. . Photo: Eric Mader

Native Bee Crop Specialists

Squash Bees
•  Ground-nesting directly at
the base of squash plants
•  Active in early morning
hours (before sunrise)
•  Pollinate flowers before
honey bees begin
foraging1
•  67% of 87 sites studied
across the U.S. had all
pollination needs met by
squash bees2

1.  Tepedino, V. J. 1981. The pollination efficiency of the squash bee
(Peponapis pruinosa) and the honey bee (Apis mellifera) on summer squash
(Cucurbita pepo). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 54:359-377.
2.  Jim Cane (USDA ARS Logan Bee Lab). 2011. Personal communication Photo: Eric Mader

Pollination of Complex Flowers

Native bees and alfalfa
•  Honey bees learn to bypass
the pollination mechanism
•  Most seed production by
leafcutter and alkali bees
•  Wild bees trip over 80% of
alfalfa flowers visited;
leafcutter bees and honey
bees trip only 25%

Brunet , J. and C. M. Stewart. 2010. Impact of Bee Species and Plant Density on Alfalfa Pollination
Photo: Eric Mader and Potential for Gene Flow. Psyche

Buzz Pollination by Native Bees

Example: Cherry tomatoes
When native bees were present, Sungold
cherry tomato production almost tripled.

Photos: Nancy Adamson

Greenleaf, S. S.,and C. Kremen. 2006. Wild bee species increase tomato production and respond
differently to surrounding land use in Northern California. Biological Conservation 133:81-87.

Photo: Anne Berblinger

Buzz Pollination Video Clip

View buzz pollination
video on YouTube at
http://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=rMvQSx2429U&featu
re=plcp [or search on
the terms “Adamson
pollination” within
YouTube to find]

There is another video
highlighting native bees
visiting crop flowers in
southwest at http://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=l_etyEdu9fQ&feature
=plcp.

Buzz Pollination Video Clip

View buzz pollination video on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMvQSx2429U&feature=plcp
[or search on the terms “Adamson pollination” within YouTube to find]

A longer version highlights native bees visiting crop flowers in southwest at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_etyEdu9fQ&feature=plcp .


Three Broad Groups of Native Bees

ground-nesting bees (solitary) bumble bees (social)

polyester bee,
Colletes inaequlis

orchard mason bee,
Osmia lignaria

wood-nesting bees (solitary) Bombus impatiens

Photos: Elaine Evans, Steve Javorek, Eric Mader

Bumble Bees: Excellent Crop Pollinators
•  Pollinators of red clover, Bombus ternarius
on blueberry,
tomato, cucurbits Vaccinium sp.
•  More efficient than honey
bees for blueberry, cranberry,
cucurbits (squash, melon)
•  Active in cool and wet
weather & “buzz” pollinate

Bombus impatiens
& B. griseocollis
on squash

Photos:, Nancy Adamson, Steve Javorek (AgCanada)

Life Cycle of a Bumble Bee Colony

Winter: Hibernating queen
Fall: Mated queens
seek overwintering
sites

Spring: Nest
establishment
and egg laying
Fall: New
queens
leave the
nest and
mate

Fall: Old queen dies Summer: Colony peak
Illustration: David Wysotski

Bumble Bees, Bombus spp.

•  Social colonies founded by single queen
•  Annual colonies--last only one season
•  Nests have ~100-400 workers
•  Nest in abandoned rodent burrows or
under lodged grasses
Conserve brush piles,
unmown areas

Bombus impatiens
Bombus vagans on clover
on scarlet runner bean Photos: Elaine Evans, Nancy Adamson, Eric Mader

Ground-Nesting Solitary Bees
Roughly 70% of bee spp.
nest underground
•  Resemble ant & ground
beetle nests from above
•  May aggregate nests
(some nest communally, but
forage alone)
•  Nest chambers lined with
waxy glandular secretions
that resist flooding
Scout for nests,
conserve sandy soil
& bare ground mining bee
Andrena barbara

Photos: Jim Cane, Dennis Briggs, Nancy Adamson

Lifecycle of Solitary Bees

Mining bee (Andrena sp.); a year in
its underground nest as egg, larva,
and pupa before emerging to
spend a few weeks as an adult.

Photos: Dennis Briggs

Ground Nesting: Mining or Digger Bees
Andrena
•  Early spring (generally)
•  Nest in well-drained soils, aggregate
•  Important for tree fruit and berries
Scout for & conserve nesting sites
apple

males often smaller
than females

blueberry

Photos:Nancy Adamson, Eric Mader, Jim Cane, International Pollination Services.

Ground Nesting: Squash Bees
Peponapis pruinosa, Xenoglossa strenua &
yellow
X. kansensis
“nose” • Specialize on cucurbit pollen: summer & winter
on male
squash, melon, cucumber
•  Nest in or near crop
•  Active early a.m., summer
Avoid deep tilling whenever possible
male
long tongue

female
ground nesting—
but males sleep in
squash flowers Photos: Nancy Adamson

Ground Nesting: Southeastern Blueberry Bee
Photos: Jolie Dollar
Habropoda laboriosa male female
• Apidae family yellow
“nose”
• Blueberry specialist,on male
active
early spring
• Looks like small bumble bee
• Coastal plain distribution
• Gregarious nesting
pale face patch
Scout for & conserve
nesting sites

long antennae

male on redbud,
Cercis canadensis Photo: Nancy Adamson

Ground Nesting: Long-Horned Bees

Melissodes, Eucera, Svastra
•  Long antennae (males)
•  Hairy, with conspicuous hairy legs
(scopa)
•  Some are aster family pollen
specialists, incl. sunflowers
Conserve nesting sites &
avoid deep tilling scopa

long “horns”

scopa

Photos: T’ai Roulston, Nancy Adamson

Ground Nesting: Green Sweat Bees

Agapostemon, Augochlora pura*,
Augochlorella, Augochloropsis
•  Generalists, short-tongued, buzz
•  Some nest communally, but each female
builds and provisions her brood cells
*Augochlora also nests in rotting wood
Conserve nesting sites
tomato
& avoid deep tilling
blueberry


Ground Nesting: Sweat Bees
swamp rose,
Rosa palustris
Halictus & Lasioglossum/Dialictus
•  Small, black, dark green, dark blue, with
bands of white on abdomen
•  Solitary, communal (aggregate nests) to semi-
social (daughters help care for young)
•  Many generalists, active all season
Conserve nesting sites &
avoid deep tilling
Halictus ligatus on yarrow, melon serviceberry,
Achellia millefolium Amelanchier sp.


Ground Nesting: Polyester, Plasterer, Cellophane Bees

Colletes spp. C. inaequalis
•  Line brood cells with waterproof
cellophane-like secretion
•  Heart-shaped face, short tongue
•  Small to medium, pale banded
•  Many are pollen
specialists
Conserve bare ground Photo: Steve Javorek, Agriculture Canada

& avoid deep tilling
heart-shaped face C. inaequalis
C. latitarsis, specialist on
groundcherry, Physalis

short tongue
T’ai Roulston at UVA’s Blandy Experimental
Farm marks and recaptures study bees Photos: Nancy Adamson

Cavity or Tunnel Nesting Solitary Bees

Roughly 30% of native species
nest in hollow plant stems, or
old beetle borer holes
•  Nest tunnel partitions
constructed of mud, leaf pieces,
or sawdust
•  Artificially managed for some
crops © Edward Ross

Conserve snags,
brush piles & pithy-
stemmed plants

Photo: Matthew Shepherd Photo: Nancy Adamson

Tunnel Nesting Bees

Hollow stem example:

Cross-section of silk cocoons

Pollen mass Egg Mud wall
Larva Pupa Adult

Silk cocoons with dormant bees inside Mud cap closure

Cavity Nesting: Mason or Orchard Bees
Osmia
•  Small to medium size, robust build
•  Usually metallic blue or green
•  Wide bodies and heads
•  Scopa on underside of abdomen
•  Active in spring and early summer
Conserve snags, brush piles &
scopa pithy-stemmed plants
O. collinsiae
on oxalis
Photo: T’ai Roulston (UVA)

O. virga
on apple
scopa

O. cornifrons or O. taurus (introduced spp.)
Photos: Nancy Adamson on blueberry and male cleaning

Cavity Nesting: Leafcutter Bees
Megachile
•  Small to large size
•  Wide bodies and heads
•  Dark, typically with pale stripes
•  Scopa on underside of abdomen
•  M. rotundata intro’d for alfalfa seed
Conserve snags, brush piles & M. mendica on
pithy-stemmed plants blackberrry

blanket flower,
scopa
Gaillardia
Photos: Eric Mader, Edward S. Ross, Jennifer Hopwood, Nancy Adamson

Cavity Nesting: Large Carpenter Bees

Xylocopa virginica & X. micans
• Large size (largest of all insect eggs, 1/2
mom’s body size!)
• Usually excavate nest
• Long lived, overlapping generations
for short times
• Shiny abdomen, scopa on legs
• Males with white patch, territorial passion flower,
Passiflora incarnata
Photo: John Pickering, DiscoverLife.org

perennial pea, Lathyrus sp. smooth
white patch abdomen
on male
scopa

blueberry


Cavity Nesting: Small Carpenter Bees

Ceratina
• Small size, shiny body, dark metallic blue or green
• Usually excavate nest in pithy stems (box elder, elderberry,
sumac, sunflower, blackberry…)
• Abdomen somewhat squared off
• Active all season
blackberry

cucumber raspberry

blueberry

smooth
abdomen

Cuckoo Bees: Nest Parasites (Cleptoparasites)
Coelioxys Sphecodes Triepeolus

Nomada

Adults feed on pollen & nectar, lay
eggs in host nest
•  Slender, wasp-like
•  Small to medium size
•  Bodies not hairy, no scopa
•  Coloration highly variable
•  May have spiky projections
•  Use sent to locate and evade host
Photos: Lloyd Spitalnik, David Gordon, Nancy Adamson

Pollinator Habitat: Enhancing Biodiversity

Diverse farms support predators and parasitoids of crop pests,
as well as pollinators, through the growing season

Photo: Matthew Shepherd, Xerces Society

Pollinator Habitat: Enhancing Biodiversity

USDA Organic certification
requires farms to enhance
biodiversity

“A production system that is managed…by integrating cultural, biological, &
mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological
balance, and conserve biodiversity” (Organic Food Production Act, 1990)


Predators and Parasitoids of Crop Pests

“The greatest single factor in preventing insects from overwhelming the
rest of the world is the internecine warfare which they carry out among
themselves.” Robert Metcalf, entomologist

tomato hornworm larvae parasitzed by
a braconid wasp, Cotesia congregatus
Photo: VegEdge, UMN

Economic Value of Predators and Parasitoids

The estimated value of biocontrol by natural enemies is $4.5–12 billion for
U.S. crops and $100 billion worldwide (Pimental et al. 1997, Losey and Vaughan 2006)

mottled tortoise beetle with Chalcid parasitoid wasp

Losey & Vaughan. 2006. The Economic Value of Ecological Services Provided by Insects. Bioscience 56 (4).
Pimental et al. 1997. Economic and Environmental Benefits of Biodiversity. BioScience:47 (11) Photo © Margy Green, www.margygreen.com

Predators: Predatory Bugs

Many adult predators depend on nectar as well as prey

assassin bug eating
twice-stabbed stink bug
on raspberry


Predators: Predatory Beetles

Both larvae & adult ladybugs
eat crop pests

Photo: David Cappaert

Photo: SABeebe (bugguide.net)

Predators: Flies

Adult syrphid fly feeding on pollen and nectar


Predators: Flies

Syrphid fly larvae are voracious predators
of aphids and other crop pests

Photo: Mario Ambrosino

Predators: Flies

Adult robber flies and larvae are predators, but adults
also feed on nectar and pollen. Some adults mimic
bumble bees. Larvae are soil dwellers.


Predators: Mantids (Praying Mantis)

Habitat adjacent to crops provides harborage for
predators when annual crops are harvested

praying mantis on
perennial sunflower

Predators: Spiders

Prey rebounds more quickly than predators, so habitat refuge is vital
for supporting predators in new crops (following harvest/disturbance)

lynx spider
with sweat bee
on rosinweed


Predators: Predatory Nematodes

Supporting beneficial nematodes is part of maintaining healthy soil

Photo: www.ecosolutionsbeneficials.com

Predators: Wasps

Most adult wasps depend on nectar, and feed prey to their young

great golden digger wasp
sipping wingstem nectar

Parasatoids: Parasitic Wasps

Adult parasitic wasps feed on nectar;
their young eat pests from the inside out!

Losey & Vaughan. 2006. The Economic Value of Ecological Services Provided by Insects. Bioscience 56 (4).
Pimental et al. 1997. Economic and Environmental Benefits of Biodiversity. BioScience:47 (11) Photo: Alex Wild

Parasatoids: Parasitic Flies

Adult parasitic flies also feed on nectar,
while their young eat their hosts!

tachinid fly, Trichopoda pennipes,
sipping goldenrod nectar
Photo: Michael Oliver (Wikimedia Commons)

Questions?
(Managing Farms for Pollinators in Part II)


Pollinator Conservation on Small Farms (Part II)

Part I: Importance of
•  Importance of pollinators
•  Native bee diversity
•  Other benefits of enhancing
biodiversity: predators &
parasitoids
Part II: Managing Farms
for Pollinators (& Other
Beneficials)
•  Pollinator habitat and
conservation
•  Protecting bees in
sustainable farm systems
•  Planting & maintenance tips
•  Additional resources
bumble bee
on great blue lobelia,
Lobelia siphilitica

Habitat Needs


Diverse Habitat for Pollinators & Natural Enemies

Crop pollination by wild bees and natural enemy activity is greater
in landscapes with diverse habitats (Forehand et al. 2006, Winfree et al. 2008,
Bianchi et al. 2011)

Bianchi, F. J. J. A., C. J. H. Booij, and T. Tscharntke. 2011. Sustainable pest regulation in agricultural landscapes: a review
on landscape composition, biodiversity and natural pest control. Proc. R. Soc. B 273: 1715-1727.
Forehand, L. M., D. B. Orr, and H. M. Linker. 2006. Insect communities associated with beneficial inset habitat plants in
North Carolina. Environmental Entomology 35 (6): 1541-1549.
Winfree, R., N. M. Williams, H. Gaines, J. S. Ascher, C. Kremen. 2008. Wild bee pollinators provide the majority of crop
visitation across land-use gradients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, USA. J. Applied Ecology 45(3): 793-802.


How much habitat is needed?

The amount of natural habitat on or
close to the farm has a direct
influence on pollinator diversity and
abundance.

Photos: Matthew Shepherd, Bruce Newhouse


Example: Canola in Canada
In the absence of honey bees,
canola growers make more
money on their land if 30% is
in natural habitat, rather than
planting it all.

Morandin, L., and M. Winston. 2006. Pollinators provide economic incentive to preserve
natural land in agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 116:289-292.
Photo: Mace Vaughan


2.4 km

2.4 km Photo: Mace Vaughan
Slide courtesy of Lora Morandin


2.4 km

2.4 km
Slide courtesy of Lora Morandin

Distance Matters

Distance to crops: Small bees may fly less than 500 ft.,
bumble bees up to 1 mile

Photo: Toby Alexander (VT NRCS)

Distance Matters

In PA apple pollination study, apple trees adjacent to natural habitat
fully pollinated by native bees.

Photo: maps.google.com

Does pollinator habitat attract pests?

Larger wildflower plantings support greater biological control
without increasing herbivore density (Blaauw & Isaacs 2012)

pollinator planting at
vineyard in western NC

Blaauw, B. R. and R. Isaacs. 2012. Larger wildflower plantings increase natural enemy density, diversity, and biological control
of sentinel prey, without increasing herbivore density. Ecological Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01376.x.
Photo: Glenn Carson, NC NRCS

Pollinator Habitat: Food

Bees and other beneficial insects need alternative forage
when crops aren’t in bloom or after harvest


Pollen and Nectar Before and After Crop Bloom

Flight periods of native bees in relation to blueberry bloom

TAXA APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT

Plaster Bees (Colletes
inaequalis, validis)
Mining Bees (Andrena
spp.)
Green Sweat Bees
(Augochlora pura)
Green Sweat Bees
(Augochlorella striata)
Sweat Bees (Halictus
spp.)
Sweat Bees
(Lasioglossum spp.)
Mason Bees (Osmia
spp.)
Bumble Bees (Bombus
spp.)

© Data from Steve Javorek, Agriculture Canada

Pollen and Nectar Through the Growing Season

Pollinators need a succession of bloom: spring, summer, and fall

Photos: Elaine Haug NRCS, Matthew Shepherd; Mace Vaughan, Eric Mader, Jeff McMillan NRCS, Berry Botanic Garden

Bloom Time Succession

Include at least 3 species in bloom for each season (spring, summer, & fall)

Photo: Eric Mader

Floral Diversity

Insect diversity increases with plant diversity.

Carvell, C., W. R. Meek, R. F. Pywell, D. Goulson and M. Nowakowski. 2007. Comparing the efficacy of agri-environment
schemes to enhance bumble bee abundance and diversity on arable field margins. J of Applied Ecology 44: 29-40.
Potts, S. G., B. Vulliamy, A. Dafni, G. Ne’eman, and P. G. Willmer. 2003. Linking bees and flowers: how do floral
communities structure pollinator communities? Ecology 84:2628-2642.
Tscharntke, T. A., A. Gathmann, and I. Steffan-Dewenter. 1998. Bioindication using trap-nesting bees and wasps and their
natural enemies and interactions. J of Applied Ecology 35:708-719.
Photo: Eric Mader

Native Plants

Locally native plants support more
abundant and species-rich insect
communities.
In disturbed landscapes, bees will
visit non-native plants but prefer
native flowers.
Hidden benefits: supporting other
beneficial insects.
Williams et al. 2011. Bees in disturbed habitats use, but do not prefer, alien plants. Basic and Applied Ecology. doi:10.1016/j.baae.2010.11.008 Photo: Steve Hendrix

Shelter


Shelter for Ground-Nesting Solitary Bees

Retain or create bare soil:
Access to bare, sandy soil
•  Keep areas of bare ground
Areas without deep mulch,
landscape fabric, or plastic
•  Maximize untilled areas
•  Clear away some plants
from well drained slopes
•  Experiment with no-till
farming techniques
•  Plant native bunch grasses

Photos: Mace Vaughan

Protect Ground-Nesting Bees: Avoid DeepTilling

Reduce tillage

No-till farms hosted three times
more native squash bees than
did conventional farms

Shuler, et al. 2005. Farming Practices Influence Wild Pollinator Populations
on Squash and Pumpkin. Journal of Economic Entomology. 98(3):790-795 Photos: USDA-NRCS, Bob Hammond, CO Coop Ext

Alternatives to Tilling For Weed Control

Pollinator-friendly alternatives:
•  Annual cover crops (dual benefit!)
•  Horticultural vinegar
•  Flame weeders
•  Drangen weeding tractors
•  Shallow disking = ok!
•  Tine weeding = ok!

Photo: Matthew Shepherd

Shelter for Cavity-Nesting Bees

Stumps, brush piles, plants with pithy stems
(elderberry, blackberry, sumac…)
Another ecology story: Many bees depend on
wood-boring beetles for habitat!

blackberry

Photos: Don Keirstead, Nancy Adamson

Shelter for Cavity-Nesting Bees

Retain snags or provide tunnels
• Place in bright, indirect sunlight
• Bees orient to large landmarks
• Irregular lengths and diameters
• Irregular surfaces (orientation)

Photos: Mace Vaughan; Katharina Ullman, Lloyd Crim, Jennifer Hopwood

Shelter for Bumble Bees

Conserve undisturbed or unmowed areas;
protect possible overwintering sites for queens
• Cavities such as old rodent holes
• Under brush piles & overgrown areas
• Under bunch grasses

Artificial nests ineffective little bluestem
(but mouse pee helps!) Photos: Mace Vaughan, Matthew Shepherd, Bonnie Carruthers, Nancy Adamson

Protection from Pesticides

Photo: Regina Hirsch

Avoid Pesticide Poisoning

Pesticides cause significant
damage to beneficial insect
populations
•  Use active ingredients with least
impact on bees
•  Consider formulation
•  Label guidelines only apply to
honey bees
•  Don’t spray on plants in bloom
•  Spray at night and when dry

Organic-Approved ≠ Safe

Organic-approved pesticides not safe:
•  Rotenone = Dangerous for bees!
•  Pyrethrins = Dangerous for bees!
•  Spinosad = Dangerous for bees!
•  Beauveria bassiana = Dangerous!

Okay when not directly applied to bees
(i.e. non-blooming crops or at night):
•  Insecticidal soap
•  Horticultural oil
•  Neem

Photo: NRCS/Toby Alexander

Keep Pesticides on Target

•  Spray at night
•  Calibrate equipment annually
•  Control drift
•  Avoid temperature inversions
•  Construct buffer strips
•  Add thickening agents

Photos: USDA-ARS

Safer Pest Management Options

•  Bt
•  Insect repellents (e.g.
garlic or citrus oils)
•  Kaolin clay barriers
(Surround)
•  Pheromone traps
•  Mating disruptors

Photo: David Biddinger (Penn State University )

Organic Alternatives to Pesticides

•  Manage for natural enemies of pests
•  Floating row covers
•  Fruit bagging
•  Crop rotation and diversity
•  Resistant varieties
•  Sanitation

Photo: NRCS/Toby Alexander

Conservation Biocontrol

Many of the same flowering plants
that support pollinators also
support predatory and parasitic
insects.

Soldier beetle
Syrphid fly drinking
raspberry nectar

Parasitoid wasp

Ladybird beetle

Photos: Mace Vaughan, Paul Jepson, Mario Ambrosino

2008 Farm Bill Pollinator Habitat Provisions

•  Makes pollinators a priority for all USDA land managers & conservationists
•  Encourages inclusion of pollinators in all USDA conservation programs
•  Identifies pollinator habitat as a priority for EQIP
•  Requires that pollinators are considered in the review of Practice Standards


Farm Bill Support for Pollinator Habitat

USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Pollinator Hedgerow
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov

Practices for Pollinators
• Tree/Shrub Establishment
• Conservation Cover
• Hedgerow Planting
• Field Border
• Restoration and Management of Cover Crop
Rare or Declining Habitats
• Range Planting
• Upland Wildlife Habitat
Management Conservation
• Pest Management
Cover
• Early Successional Habitat
Development/ Management
Field Border

Tree & Shrub Establishment/Hedgerows

•  Reduce erosion
•  Protect water quality
•  Screen agricultural fields
•  Prevent pesticide drift
•  Support pollinators

Photo: Katharina Ullmann, Xerces Society

Conservation Cover

Cover for erodible slopes
Permanent vegetation on highly
erodible sites

Massachusetts Cranberry Farm

Photos: Plymouth County NRCS

Field Borders or Filter Strips

Use pollinator plants to control run-off, over septic drain fields, in ditches


Establishing New Habitat: Keys to Success

The 6 Critical Elements of Establishing New Habitat:
1.  Remove ALL perennial weeds prior to planting (full year prep!)
2.  Do not disturb dormant weed seed
3.  Make a clean seed bed/planting area
4.  Use appropriate planting technology for the site
5.  Plant perennial seed in the fall or winter (dormant seeding)*
6.  Manage annual and biennial weeds for two years after planting

*NWTF experimenting with early fall using winter wheat for cover and wildlife
Photo: Paul Jepson, OSU IPPC

Remove ALL Perennial Weeds Prior to Planting

Perennial plantings need longer site prep than
annual plantings—a full growing season!

For Organic Farms:
• Repeat shallow cultivation (4
to 6 week intervals), or
shallow cultivation followed
by a smother crop
‾  Buckwheat
‾  Sudan grass

• Solarization (clear plastic):
At least 1 year on previously
cropped land

• Horticultural vinegar
(expensive)

Photo: Matthew Shepherd

Solarization (Full Year is Best!)

•  UV stabilized plastic
•  Mow closely pre-install
•  Install following rain or
water just prior to install
•  Dig in edges
•  Stabilize as needed
•  Care in keeping tear free
and/or repairing quickly


Create a Clean Seed Bed

Seed Bed Preparation:
• Burn or rake off debris, or very light
disk or harrow to smooth surface
• Do not to bring more weed seeds to
the surface!

Photos: Jessa Guisse

Not ready for planting!
Ready for planting!

Photos: Don Keirstead Photos: Don Keirstead

Appropriate Planting Technology

Native Seed Drills:
• Multiple seed sizes
• Plant directly in stubble (no till)
• Tye, Truax, Great Plains
(common manufacturers)

Brillion Drop Seeders:
• Made for sowing turf and
pasture grasses, also alfalfa and
clover
• Works with native seed (change
seed box agitators)
• Requires smooth, cultivated
seed bed (not like this photo!)
Photos: Jessa Guisse

Seeding: Appropriate Technology

Hand Seeding/Broadcasters
• Mix seed with sand for even
distribution
• Requires clean, firm, exposed
seed bed
• Seed on soil surface – Do not
bury the seed

Photo: Nancy Adamson Photo: Don Keirstead

Photo: Nancy Adamson Photo: Jessa Guisse Photo: Matthew Shepherd

Seeding: Post Planting

Post Seeding:
• Roll with cultipacker or lawn roller
• Mow perennial seeded areas
during the first year (before annual
weeds produce seed)

Photos: Mace Vaughan, Jessa Guisse

Appropriate Planting Technology

Transplants:
•  Supplemental irrigation
•  Animal guards
•  Mechanical transplanters
•  Tree planters
•  Vegetable transplanters

Photos: Mace Vaughan, Matthew Shepherd

Establishing New Habitat: Post-Planting

Post Seeding: Mow perennial seeded areas first and second year,
before annual and biennial weeds produce seed
1st year - Keep mowed in spring to 6–8” up to 10-12” in summer
(as often as needed) to let light reach new seedlings w/o smothering
2nd year - Repeat depending on establishment


The Finished Product!

New Hampshire Blueberry Farm

Be patient: May take 3 years to look this nice!

Photos: Don Keirstead, NH NRCS

Long-term Management of Pollinator Habitat

Post-planting weed control:
•  Mowing and spot-weeding
Maintaining early
successional habitat:
•  Rotational mowing, burning,
grazing, brush cutting (no
more than 1/3 per year)
Other:
•  Mulching shrubs, deer
fencing, vole cages

pollinator planting at
vineyard in western NC

Photo: Glenn Carson, NC NRCS

Long-Term Habitat Management: Limit Disturbance

Mowing, grazing, burning, disking are best
at infrequent intervals
•  Disturb no more than 1/3 of habitat area
each year
•  Time management for when most effective
against target, or during dormant season
•  Early successional habitat is ideal; too much
disturbance favors grasses over forbs

Photos: USDA-ARS, Audubon California

Forb vs Grass
Plantings


Seeding Rates to Help Keep Costs Reasonable

Target seeding rate should be in
seeds/square foot (vs. lbs/acre for
grasses)
•  Drill seeding: 25-35 seeds/sq ft
•  Broadcast: 40-60 seeds/sq ft

Photos: Don Keirstead (NH NRCS)

Forb vs Grass Plantings

Use seed calculator to determine seed mix
•  Order pure live seed (PLS) whenever possible
•  Avoid pre-emergent herbicides used for grassland plantings

Plant Selection: SC NRCS Resources

Further Information: Native Plant Database

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center:
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/ & http://wildflower.org/collections/

Further Information: Native Plant Database

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center Recommended Species:
http://wildflower.org/collections/

Special Collections
•  Butterflies and Moths

Value to Beneficial Insects
•  Special Value to Native Bees
•  Special Value to Bumble Bees
•  Special Value to Honey Bees
•  Provide Nesting Materials/Structure
for Native Bees

Click on those, then narrow
to state, habit, light & soil
conditions, etc.

Especially for Bumble Bees

In Conserving Bumble Bees: Guidelines for
Creating and Managing Habitat for America’s
Declining Pollinators (new Xerces Society
publication)

Spring Blooming Plants

Native* trees:
•  Acer, maple
•  Amelanchier, serviceberry
•  Crataegus, hawthorn
•  Diospyros, persimmon
•  Gleditsia, honey locust
•  Ilex, holly
•  Liriodendron, tulip tree
•  Malus, crab apple
•  Nyssa, black gum
•  Prunus, cherry, plum, peach
•  Robinia, black locust
•  Salix, willow
•  Sassafras, sassafras
•  Tilia, basswood

*non-native relatives sweat bee on
also excellent serviceberry Photo: Nancy Adamson


mining bee on blueberry
Native shrubs/small trees:
•  Amelanchier, serviceberry
•  Amorpha, leadplant
•  Ceanothus, New Jersey tea
•  Cercis, redbud
•  Gaylussacia, huckleberry
•  Halesia, silverbell
•  Ilex, holly
•  Photinia, chokeberry
•  Physocarpus, ninebark
•  Rhododendron, azalea
•  Vaccinium, blueberry

southeastern blueberry bee
on redbud Photos: Nancy Adamson

bumble bee on
Native perennials: Dutchman’s breeches

•  Aquilegia, wild columbine
•  Baptisia, wild indigo
•  Dicentra, Dutchman’s breeches
•  Geranium, wild geranium
•  Lupinus, wild lupine
•  Penstemon, beardtongue
•  Polemonium, Jacob’s ladder anthophorid bee on
•  Salvia, sage beardtongue

•  Tradescantia, spiderwort
sweat bee

lyre-leaved sage

wild lupine
wild columbine

Summer Blooming Plants

Native shrubs & trees: spirea

•  Amorpha, leadplant chokeberry
•  Aralia, devil’s walkingstick
•  Baccharis, groundsel bush
•  Cephalanthus, buttonbush
•  Clethra, sweet pepperbush
•  Ilex, holly
•  Oxydendrum, sourwood
•  Photinia, chokeberry wild cherry

•  Physocarpus, ninebark wasp on elderberry
•  Rhus, sumac
•  Rosa, wild rose
•  Sambucus, elderberry
•  Spiraea, spirea


Summer Blooming Plants
Native perennials: sweat bee on
milkweed
•  Agastache, hyssop
•  Asclepias, milkweed
sweat bee on
•  Chamaecrista, partridge pea (annual) coneflowerr
•  Chelone, turtlehead bumble bee on
bergamot
•  Cimicifuga, black cohosh
•  Echinacea, coneflower
•  Eupatorium, Joe-pye, boneset bumble bee on
•  Hibiscus, rose mallow milkweed

•  Liatris, blazing star
•  Monarda, wild bergamot bumble bee
•  Pycnanthemum, mountain mint coming out of
turtlehead
•  Verbena, vervain

zebra swallowtail
on milkweed
mountain mints (with a predatory wasp, right) blazing star Photos: Nancy Adamson

Fall Blooming Plants
Native perennials:
bumble bee on
•  Cirsium, thistle great blue lobelia
•  Eupatorium, Joe-pye, boneset
•  Helianthus, sunflower
•  Helenium, Helen’s flower
•  Liatris, blazing star
sweat bee
•  Lobelia, lobelia, cardinal flower on thistle
•  Pycnanthemum, mountain mint
clear wing sweat bee on
•  Solidago, goldenrod moth on goldenrod
•  Symphyotrichum, aster Joe-pye

•  Verbena, vervain
•  Vernonia, ironweed

sweat bee
on aster

Native Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
common milkweed,
A. syriaca •  High quality nectar source for
pollinators
•  Obligate host plants for monarch
caterpillars
•  Top species for attracting beneficial
insects in western US vineyards

butterfly milkweed,
A. tuberosa

James, D.G. 2010. Attraction of beneficial insects to flowering endemic perennial plants in the Yakima Valley. Irrigated
Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University. Unpublished raw data.
Photos: Nancy Adamson & Eric Mader

Native Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)

•  ~80% decline in monarch butterflies since ~2000 in corn/soybean ag
regions (~60% decline in milkweeds)
•  Tremendous diversity in milkweeds--great potential to expand use
purple milkweed,
A. purpurascens swamp milkweed,
A. incarnata
poke milkweed,
A. exaltata

green milkweed,
A. viridiflora

fourleaf milkweed,
A. quadrifolia

Pleasants, J. M., Oberhauser, K. S. 2012.Milkweed loss in agricultural fields because of herbicide use: effect on
the monarch butterfly population. Insect Conservation and Diversity. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-4598.2012.00196.x. Photos: Nancy Adamson

Non-native Bee Plants
cosmos

•  Red clover (esp. mammoth red)
•  White clover (esp. Ladino)
•  Alfalfa
borage buckwheat
•  Buckwheat
•  Basil
•  Borage
•  Hairy vetch
•  Catmint
•  Cosmos
sunflower
•  Annual sunflower
•  Oregano
•  Russian sage
•  Siberian squill

clover Photos: Mace Vaughan, Eric Mader, Nancy

Additional Resources

bumble bee
on silverbell


Further Information: NRCS Resources

Your Local USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Office:

•  Information about Farm Bill programs
•  New state pollinator technology notes
•  Revised EQIP/WHIP standards for
pollinator plantings
•  Farming for Pollinators brochure
•  Organic conversion assistance

Photo: USDA-ARS

Further Information: USDA-NRCS

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
•  State and regional Technical Notes
•  Farming for Pollinators brochure
•  Agroforestry Notes
•  PLANTS Database
•  NRCS Plant Material Centers

NRCS WV Pollinator Handbook

Comprehensive guide
•  WV native bee & butterfly
diversity
•  Pollinator biology & habitat
•  Pollinator conservation & farm
planning
•  On-going management
•  Plants, plant mixes, & sources
•  Common bees of WV

Online at
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/
uploads/2009/11/WVPH-SEC.pdf

Further Information: the Xerces Society

•  Xerces Society publications
•  www.xerces.org

Further Information: Resource Center

Resource Center
Region-specific Information from
Xerces, Cooperative Extension,
USDA-NRCS, NGO, and other
sources, including:

•  Regional plant lists
•  National plant lists
•  Conservation guides
•  Nest construction guides
•  Links to identification guides
•  Pesticide guidelines
•  Native plant nursery directory

www.xerces.org/pollinator-
resource-center

Further Information: Publications

Published in February 2011
Attracting Native Pollinators belongs
on the bookshelf of everyone who
values the future of the natural
world.
- Douglas W. Tallamy, researcher and author of
Bringing Nature Home

Precise, elegant and thoughtful, the
recommendations offered by the
Xerces Society will become essential
to advancing a healthy and diverse
food production system.
- Gary Nabhan, author of The Forgotten Pollinators
and Renewing America s Food Traditions

www.xerces.org/store
Nancy has copies at CFSA

Remember:
Plant flowers…
…as native as possible.
Reduce pesticide use.
www.xerces.org

southeastern blueberry bee
Habropoda laboriosa

Thank You!


Thank You!

Many excellent scientists,
conservationists, and farmers
Financial support from
 Xerces Society Members
 NRCS: West & East National Tech
Centers, Ag Wildlife Conservation
Center
 Turner Foundation
 CS Fund
 Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH
Perpetual Charitable Trust.
 Dudley Foundation
 Bullitt Foundation
 Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund
 Richard and Rhoda Goldman
Foundation
 Panta Rhea Foundation
 Gaia Fund
 Bill Healy Foundation
 Bradshaw-Knight Foundation andrenid bee on apple
 Wildwood Foundation
 Organic Valley
 & many others… Photo: Nancy Adamson

Questions?

www.xerces.org
(follow links to pollinator program)

long-tailed skipper

Nancy.Adamson@gnb.usda.gov
Nancy@xerces.org
office 336-370-3443
cell 336-404-0151

Pollinator Conservation on Small Farms by Nancy Adamson at CFSA12 on 26-28 Oct 2012 (cfsa12)

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