In fact, the queen will be the only bumble bee from the colony that will survive to the next spring. Although it sounds grim, this is not a problem for bumble bees. Every spring the queen awakens from dormancy and selects a safe location to start the new colony; however, this is becoming more and more difficult as pollinator friendly habitat disappears from the landscape.
The largest threat to native bee populations is habitat loss. By including a diverse mixture of native forbs and legumes around our homes and in our communities we are providing critical habitat for a diverse array of beneficial pollinator species including bumble bees, honey bees, and monarch butterflies; just to name a few.
Pollinating insects are crucial to agriculture. Honey bees alone are responsible for doing almost 80% of all crop pollination and contribute an estimated $15 billion to agriculture each year in the U.S. Without bees we would not be able to enjoy affordable apples, blackberries, cherries, cucumbers, peaches, pears, plums, pumpkins, raspberries, squash, or watermelon. Even strawberries, soybeans, and grapes will produce higher yields when pollinated by bees. We owe a lot of great things to bees and other pollinating insects. While on your walk today consider stopping by some native prairie flowers that are still blooming to observe the bumble bees and other pollinators as they work tirelessly to prepare for the winter ahead.
