05/26/2026
A pollinator week wouldn't be right without first highlighting the most well-known member of this community, the bee!
In New York, there are currently 416 known unique species of native bees. A slight majority of these bees (54%) are ground nesting. These bees commonly look for areas of dirt exposed to the sun for warmth where they can burrow into the ground to lay eggs. These bees are also solitary nesters, as are the majority of native species, which means that they don't hive together with other members of the same species. Other bee species that are solitary nesters will use pre-existing structures to nest like the stalks of plants, rotting logs, abandoned burrows from other insects, and man-made structures.
Bumble bees do generally hive, and are important pollinators because they are a generalist species, meaning they can get pollen from a wide variety of sources. Our favorite fun fact about bumble bees is that they are capable of thermoregulation (meaning they can shiver) to keep warm! This gives bumble bees the ability to pollinate in early spring and late fall, making them critical for those cold-hearty plants that bloom in the early and late season.
Finally, we're grouping wasps in with bees today. While not nearly as prolific of a pollinator, these insects play an important role of their own within the pollinator community: the predator. Just like the thinning of the herd that large predators do, wasps will target the weak and diseased members of the insect community because they're easier to catch for a meal. This leads to an overall healthier ecosystem. They are also responsible for a bit of pollination of their own as they search for nectar. Most wasps aren't aggressive towards humans unless provoked, with yellow-jackets being the exception, particularly in the fall when they are looking for the last bits of food to feed their queen so she survives the winter.
Encounter credit for this post goes to Cayce Salvino and Kayla Edmunds!
