Have you met these five native bees?

With summer quickly approaching, gardens and fields will burst to life with countless buzzing bees.

The fascinating world of our wild native bees

America is home to nearly 4,000 native bee species (and we’re still finding more), each uniquely adapted to pollinate specific plants in your backyard, parks and neighborhoods. Unlike honeybees, native bees rarely produce honey, build large hives or have a queen. Instead, these hardworking pollinators live alone or in small groups, playing crucial roles in maintaining biodiversity and abundant harvests.

We’re spotlighting some fascinating and unique native bee species, including some you might already know from your own garden. But whether you’re old friends or just meeting for the first time, join us in celebrating the amazing native bees that help our world thrive.

Five native bees you’ll wish you met sooner

Move over honeybees — these native pollinators are the real stars of the garden. Let’s take a look at some of our native bees and see what all the buzz is about.

Two-spotted longhorn bee

The two-spotted longhorn bee is a summer garden regular across the eastern U.S. Males are jet-black with two white spots on their abdomen. A bit smaller than honeybees, these energetic males zip between flower beds with curly, long antennae (I wonder where they get the name). At night, females sleep in cozy nests nestled in loose soil and slopes, while males, well, they do something … different.

Southeastern blueberry bee

Fuzzy like a bumblebee but sporting a sunny yellow face, this bee is a specialist in buzz pollination. It grabs onto a flower and vibrates its body like a tiny tuning fork, shaking pollen loose in ways many other bees can’t. While they’re named for their work in blueberry orchards, especially during early spring, they’re not limited to one crop. Apples, cherries, cranberries, peas and even azaleas benefit from their buzzing bodies. These bees nest in the ground or rotting wood, and while they tend to keep a low profile, only really seen for a couple weeks each year, their contributions are anything but small.

Why do these bees mimic bumblebees? 

My theory is that it’s some form of Müllerian mimicry, where mimicking bumble bees, a species known to be large and willing to sting, helps deter predators from targeting the more docile and less well-equipped digger bees. Entomologists, though, aren’t completely sure just yet. Interestingly enough, like their bumblebee lookalikes, these bees also show regional color variations, matching those of their bumblebee muses.

Eastern Cucurbit Bee

The early bird of the bee world, Eastern cucurbit bees, as well as the other species in its genus, are commonly called squash bees. 

Up with the sun, and diving head (antennae? thorax?) first into squash, pumpkin and gourd flowers before the day heats up, (no surprise where they got the nickname). By noon, they can be found taking a siesta, snoozing curled up asleep inside those same blossoms, sometimes even with other bees. 

Found anywhere squash grows, from Quebec to Mexico, these bees nest by digging deep vertical tunnels up to two feet into the ground. They’ve been pollinating for a long time, and are even believed to have helped Indigenous groups cultivate and spread squash and gourds across North America.

So next time you see something buzzing by your zucchini or hanging upside down on a flower stalk, take a closer look. It might just be one of these unsung pollinating heroes.

Wild bees keep the world spinning 

Wild bees are busy bees, pollinating tens of thousands of plant species, supporting everything from the wildflowers in your backyard to the tomatoes in your garden. As you’ve seen, many wild bees are highly specialized, evolving alongside specific plants or groups in mutual partnerships. Without their specialized pollinators, these plant species, along with entire ecosystems, would suffer.

The work of wild bees even strengthens our food security. They help pollinate a wide variety of crops, including apples, squash and berries. Without healthy bee populations, grocery store shelves would look emptier, and the price of everyday staples would rise.

Our native bees are under threat

Yet today, nearly a quarter of our native bees species are inching towards extinction, as bee populations collapse under the weight of multiple threats:

It’s critical now more than ever that we support the native pollinators that call North America home. Our native wild bees aren’t just fascinating and incredible creatures, they allow for life on this continent to thrive. 

Backyard gardens, massive fields of crops and meadows of wildflowers all owe their existence to our native bees.

From sandcastle architects to sweat-sipping jewels, these bees aren’t just adorable and unique, they’re essential. And while they may not make honey, they help make our natural world a whole lot sweeter.