Native bees are among the most vital creatures in any healthy ecosystem. Unlike honeybees, which are actually European imports, North America is home to over 4,000 species of native bees, many of which are far more efficient pollinators for native plants and food crops.

Why native bees matter

• They pollinate roughly 80% of flowering plants and about one-third of the food we eat
• Many are solitary, non-aggressive, and rarely sting
• They are far more effective than honeybees at pollinating many native and agricultural plants
• Populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticides, disease, and climate shifts

Native bees to know

• Bumble Bees (Bombus spp.) including the rusty patched bumble bee, which is federally endangered
• Mason Bees (Osmia spp.) excellent early spring pollinators
• Leafcutter Bees (Megachile spp.) important for summer blooms
• Sweat Bees (Halictus and Lasioglossum spp.) tiny but incredibly numerous and effective
• Mining Bees (Andrena spp.) ground-nesting, active in early spring
• Squash Bees (Peponapis pruinosa) specialists for squash and pumpkin flowers

How to support native bees

Plant a pollinator garden

Choose native Minnesota plants that bloom in succession from early spring through late fall so there is always something in flower.

Spring bloomers

• Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
• Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
• Wild blue indigo (Baptisia australis)
• Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)

Summer bloomers

• Purple Coneflower
• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
• Black-Eyed Susan
• Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
• Milkweed

Late summer and fall bloomers

• Native asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)
• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
• Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
• Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Create nesting habitat

About 70% of native bees nest in the ground. The other 30% nest in hollow stems or wood cavities.

For ground nesters

• Leave patches of bare or sparsely vegetated soil in sunny areas
• Avoid heavy mulching in all garden areas
• Reduce tilling to protect underground nests

For cavity nesters

• Leave dead standing trees (snags) on the property when safe to do so
• Bundle hollow stems of plants like Joe Pye weed, goldenrod, and elderberry and hang them in sheltered spots
• Install or build bee houses with tubes ranging from 4mm to 10mm in diameter
• Place bee houses facing east or southeast, 3 to 6 feet off the ground, in a sheltered sunny location

Reduce or eliminate pesticide use

• Avoid all neonicotinoids, which are systemic and persist in pollen and nectar
• If treatment is necessary, use targeted applications at dusk when bees are not foraging
• Choose organic or biological controls whenever possible
• Never spray open flowers

Provide water

• Shallow dishes with pebbles or marbles allow bees to land and drink safely
• Keep water fresh and clean to prevent mosquito breeding
• Muddy patches also serve mason bees, which use mud to seal their nests

Manage large property areas strategically

• Establish a dedicated pollinator meadow by converting turf or unused acreage to native plantings
• Create brush piles and log piles in quiet corners as additional nesting structure
• Maintain hedgerows or native shrub borders along field edges
• Leave areas intentionally wild and unmowed
• Mow meadow areas only once per year in late fall or very early spring, never during the growing season

Resources

• Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota one of the leading native bee research centers in the country, with free resources and plant guides
• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) offers cost-share programs for pollinator habitat on private land
• Xerces Society provides free guides specific to the Upper Midwest
• Lawns to Legumes Program a Minnesota DNR program that provides grants and plants to homeowners converting lawn to pollinator habitat

Notes on the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

This bee was once one of the most common bumble bees in Minnesota. It is now federally listed as endangered. It nests underground in small colonies and forages on a wide variety of native flowers. Establishing diverse native plantings and reducing pesticide use on any property actively contributes to its recovery.

Key field marks of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

• Yellow head
• Yellow thorax with a small black spot in the center
• The first abdominal segment is entirely yellow
• The second abdominal segment has a distinctive rusty reddish-brown patch in the center, flanked by yellow on the sides
• Remaining segments are mostly black
• The rusty patch appears only on workers and males, not on queens

Species most commonly confused with it

Brown-Belted Bumble Bee (Bombus griseocollis)

This is one of the most frequent look-alikes and is still very common in Minnesota.

• Has a brownish or tan band on the abdomen rather than a true rusty patch
• The brown band tends to be wider and more uniform
• Yellow coloring on the face and thorax is very similar
• Queens can be especially difficult to distinguish from rusty patched queens

Two-Spotted Bumble Bee (Bombus bimaculatus)

• Has two yellow spots on an otherwise dark abdomen
• Can appear similar from a distance
• More common in woodland edges and gardens
• Thorax pattern closely resembles the rusty patched

Yellow Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)

• Largely yellow with minimal black markings
• Can overlap in appearance depending on the angle and lighting
• More uniformly yellow than the rusty patched
• Still present in Minnesota but declining

Half-Black Bumble Bee (Bombus vagans)

• Yellow and black patterning similar to rusty patched
• Lacks the rusty coloring but can be confused in poor lighting or quick sightings
• Tends to have more black on the lower abdomen

American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus)

• Once abundant, now significantly declined and of conservation concern itself
• Yellow and black with similar body shape and size
• Lacks the rusty patch but shares the general bumble bee appearance
• Worth reporting if spotted in Minnesota as sightings are now uncommon

Tips for accurate identification

• The rusty patch is subtle and easiest to see when the bee is resting or foraging slowly on a flower
• Photographing from directly above gives the clearest view of the abdominal segments
• Bumble Bee Watch, a citizen science project run in partnership with the Xerces Society, has an online photo submission tool for identification help
• The University of Minnesota Bee Lab also accepts photo submissions and has identification guides specific to Minnesota species

Why accurate ID matters

Misidentifying a common species as a rusty patched bumble bee, or the reverse, affects population data that researchers and conservationists rely on. Submitting verified sightings through Bumble Bee Watch directly contributes to recovery tracking for this endangered species.

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