Like the majority of bee species, carpenter bees are phenomenal pollinators that are crucial to our ecosystems. In fact, they’re a top pollinator of tomatoes and other vegetables and flowers. And they’re just one of over 2,500 species of bees found in North America that work alongside our native bumblebees and introduced honeybees that are largely responsible for our ability to eat food.
‘Bees are responsible for at least 14 billion dollars annually in improved crop yield and quality’
Whenever a bee is squashed, the essential pollination & propagation of plants every human relies on to survive, including fruit, fiber, nut, and vegetable crops, is also squashed. So the next time you see a bee, let it bee! Doing so helps our bees pollinate approximately 130 kinds of agricultural crops across millions of acres in the U.S. alone. And if money is your thing, remember that bees are responsible for at least 14 billion dollars annually in improved crop yield and quality.
If honey is more your thing instead, like me, know that it takes an unbelievable amount of bees to make the sweet stuff, too. In fact, foraging bees must collect nectar from about 2 million flowers just to make 1 pound of honey.
To help our amazing bees with all of this, let at least a spot of your yard grow wild. Chances are, you’ll love how many beautiful wildflowers return, and how pretty the clovers and dandelions are. And please avoid insecticides/pesticides at all costs, they are the #1 killer of bees.
Happy World Bee Day from all of us at TennGreen!
Jon D. B.
Director of Communications