Native Bees

Possibly Andrena genus on Crowpoison

There are more than 3500 describe species of bee in North America, and close to 1000 species found in Texas alone. Of all bees, the European honeybee, Apis mellifera, gets the most attention, but that is due to its ability to pollinate crops; however, this species has a lesser to non-existent role in pollinating native plants. Many plants do not attract Apis mellifera as the cache of nectar may be too small, the bee the wrong size, the pollen hard to remove, or other impeding plant mechanisms.

Native bee on native flower.

The most familiar bee in Texas is the larger, fuzzy genus Bombus, or Bumblebee, but the majority of native bees are solitary. This can include the leaf-cutter bee, mason bee, mining bee, squash bee, or sunflower bee. They may also be divided by the five most common families: Apidae, Megachilidae, Halictidae, Andrenidae, and Colletidae. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recognizes at least eighteen native bees as species of greatest conservation need, with petition for some to be considered endangered species. A simple home garden with the appropriate native plants can help in the conservation efforts.

While Crowpoison has already started to bloom this year, the bees will take longer to arrive.