Native Bees
Specialist Bees
Bees, our most important pollinators, are either generalists or specialists. Generalists visit a variety of plants to gather pollen. Specialists, on the other hand, have evolved a relationship with one or only a few plant species. These specialist bees emerge from their nests at the same time that their host plant(s) begin to flower. Roughly a quarter to a third of our bees are specialists. Entomologist Doug Tallamy recommends including plants in your yard that attract specialist bees because these same plants will also feed the generalists. This strategy makes for a diverse bee population. Some plants that support our bee specialists include: