© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The secret lives of Michigan’s native bees

a bumbleebee on a pink flower
Jice 75
/
Flickr - http://bit.ly/1xMszCg
We have plenty of data on honeybees that are managed for agriculture, but when it comes to the health of native bee populations, it's a "big question mark at this point," Graham said.

Bees might be small, but they play an outsize role in food production. In fact, one of every three bites of food we eat is made possible by bees.

While a lot of attention on the shrinking bee population focuses on honeybees, they aren't the only pollinators in our state. Michigan is also home to hundreds of native bee species that play an equally important role in our environment and economy. 

Kelsey Graham, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University and a pollinator conservation specialist, joined Stateside to tell us about the importance of native bee species.

Listen above to hear why native bees don't get the same attention in the research world as honeybees, what they do for the environment and agriculture, and what everyone can do to support native bee populations.

(Subscribe to the Stateside podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or with this RSS link)

Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.
Related Content