“B” Challenge: Bees, Blue Orchard Bee, HoneyBee

Blue Orchard Bee, a photo by Fergiemoto on Flickr.  (click on photo to enlarge)
Linking up with Camera Critters, Your Sunday Best and Macro Monday.

>>:::<<
a speck in nature
tiny but not trivial
interdependence of life
>>:::<<

Bees, in general, are the major type of pollinator for flowering plants.  They are the “predominant and most economically important group of pollinators in most geographical regions….Pollination is not just a free service but one that requires investment and stewardship to protect and sustain it.”  (http://www.unep.org)

Recently, I noticed several of these dark-colored bees attracted to our lupine flowers and snapped this photo, among others.  What is the significance of this little Blue Orchard Bee?  Recent concerns about the decline of the honeybee population, along with the blue orchard bee’s highly efficient pollination, such as with tree fruits, have increased interest in the blue orchard bee as an alternative orchard pollinator to the honeybee.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), about one mouthful in three in the diet directly or indirectly benefits from honeybee pollination!  This includes nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables.  It’s amazing how we, and many things in nature, are dependent on such small yet important insects.

There are various reasons for the decline of the important honeybee colonies, but a couple of suggestions that the public can take to help the honeybees and other bees is to:

• Not use pesticides indiscriminately, especially during mid-day when they are foraging for nectar, and
• Plant, and encourage the planting of good nectar sources

I saw a quote that read, “Everything in the world, no matter what it is, depends on something else for its existence.”  Can you think of a case where this is not true?  So far, I haven’t been able to.
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This is for the letter “B” story challenge by Frizztext, to share a short story or reflection, even an aphorism using a word tagged with each letter of the alphabet.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee
• http://www.unep.org/dewa/Portals/67/pdf/Global_Bee_Colony_Disorder_and_Threats_insect_pollinators.pdf
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmia_lignaria
• http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/blue-orchard-bee.pdf
• http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=18333
• http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572
• http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/101217.htm