What are Solitary Bees?
When we think of bee conservation we likely think about European honeybees, because honeybees get a lot of attention in the media. A lesser know fact is that there are approximately 3,600 species of native bees in North America - - most of which are solitary bee species.
Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees are not social bees; they do not live in a hive community. Female solitary bees lay their eggs in nesting cavities in the ground, logs, trees, and other natural cavities. Because they don't have a hive to defend, solitary bees are not aggressive and almost never sting.
Native solitary bees are exceptionally strong pollinators, and are important links in our local ecosystem framework. They often rely on native plants (for food and shelter) to complete their lifecycles; but unfortunately native bee habitats continue to diminish due to building development, the use of pesticides, and a reduction in native plants (natives being replaced with non-natives and invasive plant species).
As a Bee City USA affiliate, MBee AL strives to promote awareness of these important solitary bees, and to promote the installation and protection of increased native habitats on public property and throughout the Mountain Brook community!
