Wild native bees help alleviate the workload of honeybees in pollinating agricultural crops. Learn more by reading In Search of the Right Path (Edible Portland, Spring 2009). Native bees themselves are also important pollinators of crops and have recently been in decline, just like the honeybees. To help our native bees flourish, there are three simple things we can do.

1. Plant a bee-friendly garden
The best bee garden contains flowering plants that blossom throughout the year. Find out which plants are best for the the Northwest native bee population at www.xerces.org/fact-sheets or right here: Plants for Native Bees (pdf)

2. Build and preserve next sites
Nest sites range from something as simple as a clear patch of sunny, sloping ground to a more complex hand-built wooden next box. Find out more here: Nests for Native Bees (pdf)

3. Refrain from using pesticides in your garden

Find out more about native pollinators at The Xerces Society.

Photo by N. Scott Trimble