Identification and Biology

In Pennsylvania, there are at least 437 species of bees that contribute to the pollinating of the state's natural areas, crops, and gardens. Penn State Extension has a vast selection of resources you can use to learn more about the different pollinator populations and their distributions. Find out how you can help conserve bees.

Types of Bees

Pennsylvania is home to more than 400 species of bees. They are responsible for the pollination of most of the crops grown in the state, but they have shown a 13% decline in the last 2 decades.

Understanding the ecology and distribution of each bee species is crucial if we want to encourage and protect wild bee populations. Penn State Extension has a wide range of resources, including the Pollinator Series, aimed at increasing awareness of issues surrounding pollinator health, management of pollinators, and pollinator habitat.

This webinar series is for gardeners, bee enthusiasts, and farmers and provides landscape management recommendations to support pollinators such as the bumble bee and native solitary spring bee species.

Other Common Pollinators

It’s bees that we usually think of when it comes to pollination and honey bees, in particular, get the most press. But wild bees are proving to be hard workers too, especially in light of the decline in honey bee and other native pollinator numbers.

The use of solitary mason bees is being investigated, in particular for tree fruit pollination. Carpenter bees are another essential pollinator. You’ll often find this bee buzzing under your home’s eaves, and it is commonly mistaken for a bumblebee.

Wasps are a very important pollinator, however, they are not quite as efficient in pollinating flowers, because pollen is less likely to stick to their bodies. A blue winged wasp, Scolia dubia, particularly enjoys plants such as Solidago (Golden Rod). Paper wasps are another pollinator that gets most of its protein from caterpillars rather than pollen.

Bee Conservation and Pollinator Health

Pollinators help sustain the agricultural sector, including the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Unfortunately, their populations have been in decline in recent years.

No single factor is causing this reduction in numbers. It is more a combination of factors such as natural habitat loss, diseases, diversity, exposure to potentially harmful pesticides, pests, and mite infestations that have contributed to the population losses.

Understanding the causes of bee decline, colony losses, and the bee's life cycle is fundamental, whether it’s wild bees in Pennsylvania that we want to conserve or protect honey bees. Varroa mites are a very serious health challenge honey bees have to face. Feral honey bee populations have been seriously affected.

There’s a lot we can do to encourage native bees and help maintain healthy native bee populations. One option is to provide nest sites and nesting material. Flowering cover crops is another very effective bee conservation strategy. Cover crops play a key role in an Integrated Pest Management approach.