05/20/2026
The "save the bees" campaign is about the wrong bee.
Honeybees aren't disappearing. They're managed livestock — imported from Europe centuries ago for honey and crop pollination. When a colony dies, the beekeeper replaces it.
The bees in crisis are the ones without keepers.
🌿 North America has over four thousand species of native bees — mason bees, mining bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees, carpenter bees. Most are solitary. Most nest in the ground or in hollow stems. None make honey. None have a beekeeper.
Native bees are significantly more efficient pollinators per individual — they visit more flowers per trip and work in weather that keeps honeybees in the hive.
🐾 What actually helps native bees:
- Plant native flowers — native bees evolved alongside them
- Leave bare soil patches — most native bees nest in the ground
- Leave dead stems standing through spring — many species nest inside them
- Avoid spraying flowering plants during bloom
The bees that need saving live in the soil, in hollow stems, and in old beetle holes. They've been here for millions of years. No hive. No keeper. No marketing campaign 🌿
