| Current Publications | |
Managing Wild Bees The recent highly publicized reports of honey bee declines have brought new attention to the essential service that insect pollinators provide. This service is of particular importance to many high-value specialty crops, including cranberries, apples, cherries, cane fruits, and forage seed like clover and alfalfa. Prior to the honey bee’s introduction from Europe in 1622, North America was home to approximately 4,000 native bee species, the majority of which lead solitary lives nesting underground or in wood cavities like hollow stems and beetle borer holes. Several of these wild bees can and do play an important role as crop pollinators. This book provides readers with the basic information necessary to manage populations of solitary cavity-nesting leafcutter and mason bees. Various members of these species are effective pollinators of all major bee-pollinated in the Upper Midwest. These bees are extremely gentle, and rarely sting, making them a safe alternative to honey bees for small farms and near urban areas. In addition, these bees can be maintained in small populations, at a lower cost than honey bees, and they are not susceptible to the same parasite and disease issues that have devastated honey bees. While this book was originally developed for Wisconsin audiences, the principles and management system are readily applicable to leafcutter and mason beekeeping worldwide. Intended Audience: |
CLICK HERE FOR PURCHASE INFORMATION
|
Ueki no Te Ire: The Japanese Art of Giant Bonsai |
|
Additional Pollinator Conservation Resources For additional information about native pollinator conservation, including free downloadable fact sheets, habitat management guidelines, and bumble bee identification pocket guides, please visit The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: |
|
