How You Can Help Alberta's Beautiful Bumblebees

Bumblebee Species of Alberta:  21 species plus 4 cuckoo bumblebee spp.

Hey Alberta, you have an abundance of bumblebee species to celebrate! These are the bees that give you big fat tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash, blueberries and pollinate many beautiful native and cultivated flowers and berries. I've listed the species below so you can research any one or more in detail and I've added some tips on how you can help these sweet and vulnerable species.

1) White-shouldered Bumblebee (Bombus appositus) long-tongued

2) High Country Bumblebee (Bombus kirbiellus , formerly B. balteatus) long-tongued, rare

3) Black-notched Bumblebee (Bombus bifarius) medium-tongued

4) Cryptic Bumblebee  (Bombus cryptarum) (formerly B. moderatus) medium-tongued

5) Great Basin Bumblebee aka Central BB (Bombus centralis) long-tongued

6) California Bumblebee (Bombus californicus aka B. fervidus ssp. Californicus) and Golden Northern Bumblebee (Bombus fervidus) long-tongued

7) Yellow-fronted Bumblebee (Bombus flavifrons) medium-tongued

8) Frigid Bumblebee (Bombus frigidus) rare, medium-tongued

9) Brown-belted Bumblebee (Bombus griseocollis) medium-tongued

10) Hunt’s Bumblebee (Bombus huntii) medium-tongued

11) White Tail Bumblebee (Bombus jonellus) medium-tongued, Northern

12) Black-tailed Bumblebee aka Orange-rumped Bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus) medium-tongued

13) Mixed Bumblebee aka Fuzzy-horned Bumblebee (Bombus mixtus) medium-tongued

14) Nevada Bumblebee (Bombus nevadensis) long-tongued

15) Western Bumblebee (Bombus occidentalis) short tongued, rare

16) Perplexing Bumblebee (Bombus perplexus) short-tongued, rare

17) Red-belted Bumblebee (Bombus rufocinctus) short-tongued

18) Forest Bumblebee (Bombus sylvicola) uncommon, medium-tongued

19) Tri-coloured Bumblebee (Bombus ternarius) medium-tongued rare in west, more common in east

20) Yellow-banded Bumblebee (Bombus terricola) short-tongued, rare

21) Half-black Bumblebee (Bombus vagans) medium long-tongued

Cuckoo:

1) Ashton Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus bohemicus)

2) Fernald Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus flavidus, formerly B. fernaldae)

3) Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus insularis) long-tongued

4) Suckley Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus suckleyi) uncommon (ICUN red list)

Sources: 

 Special thanks to Lincoln R. Best for help compiling the list above.

Bumblebees of the Western United States by Koch, Strange,and Williams.

Conserving Bumble Bees: Guidelines for Creating and Managing Habitat for America’s Declining Pollinators by the Xerces Society forInvertebrate Conservation.

Bumblebees of North America: An Identification Guide byWilliams, Thorp, Richardson and Colla, Princeton University Press, 2014.

The changing identity and distribution of a bumble beespecies known from Alberta for one hundred years by Robin E. Owen, CentennialReader Archive, Mount Royal University.

What Makes a Good Bumblebee Garden?

•A biodiverse selection of organic bumblebee flowers that bloom in each season (Spring, Summer, Fall) with no forage gaps: for an Alberta Bumblebee plant list see the post below.

Flowers with a variety of corolla lengths to suit small, medium and long-tongued bumblebee species

•Local organic native bumblebee plants that are high quality source of nectar and pollen

•Nesting and hibernation sites

•The inclusion of plants that exclude other bee species to ameliorate competition, esp. plants that exclude honeybees, including buzz-pollinated flowers

•Long-blooming drought tolerant plants

•Medicinal plants for bumblebees to help them fight diseases and pests

•Interconnected hotspots of forage: use hedgerow model, ditches, boulevards to provide corridors for bumblebees to date, mate and procreate

•A critical mass of interconnected forage with groupings at least 1 m square, herbaceaous plants, shrubs and trees with high blossom and high reward density (esp. in areas with a high honeybee population

•Areas with forage spots that are protected from wind

Steps you can take to protect bumblebees:

•Do not load your neighborhood with honeybees that compete directly with native bees

•Do not support greenhouses that use farmed bumblebees, which have been advocated in the spread of disease and steep decline in native bumblebee species.

•If you see a stranded bumblebee, give her some sugar water (50/50) or just water and put her safely in the sun near some flowers.

•Educate other people about the importance of bumblebees.

•Take part in the citizen scientist studies of bees such as The Great Canadian Bumblebee Count. Record your sightings. Take photos of the bee from as many angles as possible: Think head, thorax, abdomen—get all the parts documented.

Build a bumblebee box for families of bees to move into your garden!: Advice for deploying bumble bee nest boxes (domiciles), January 2016, Luc Pelletier & Ralph Cartar*

http://blogs.ubc.ca/theecoartincubator/files/2016/05/Pelletier-Cartar-Domicile-Instructions.pdf

Resources:

 Local native plants and seeds: http://www.wildaboutflowers.ca/

Native Plants for the Short Season Yard by Lyndon Penner. (This is a must-have book for the Albertan bumblebee gardener!!!!)
My book is now available through West Coast Seeds! Add a copy to your seed order! Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees

Resources for Alberta Bumblebee Gardeners

Bumblebee Plants for Alberta 

This list is a work of progress: check back for updates as I re-organize it to make this easier to read.

* Denotes a medicinal plant for bees

BOLD denotes special interest for bumblebee plants (buzz pollinated, longer corollas or special relationships, ie trip pollination)

Native and Near Native Shrubs:

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Oregon Grape (Berberis spp.), Willow (Salix spp.), Sumac (Rhus spp.), Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea), Wax Currant (Ribes cereum), Clove Currant and other ribes spp., Wild Raspberry, Kinnikinnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), High Bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum), Wood’s Rose (Rosa Woodsii), Prickly Rose (R. acicularis), Blueberry—low bush vaccinium myrtilloides and cultivars, Potentilla spp., Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

June Gap: Ninebark (Physocarpus spp.), Spirea spp., Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii), hardy roses

Later Shrubs: Buck Brush (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), Rabbit Brush (Chrysothamnus naseosus)

Native Trees Chokecherry, Crabapple, Pincherry, Saskatoon (and many other native fruit trees), Western Mountain Ash (Sorbus scopulina)

Native Vines: Purple Clematis (Clematis occidentalis) Virgin’s Bower Clematis (Clematis ligustifolium) beware of invasive look-alikes

Exotic Trees: Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), Linden (Tilia spp.) avoid silver linden (Tilia tomentosa); Stone Fruit Trees: apple, cherry, peach, apricot, pear, quince, plum; Redbuds (Cercis spp.);

Exotic Shrubs: Spirea spp., Climbing roses

Native and Near Native Perennials: Native violets, Prairie Crocus (Pulsatilla patens), Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.), Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum spp.) Heartleaf Golden Alexanders (Zizea aptera)

 Nodding onion (Allium cernuum) and other native alliums, Canadian Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) and other Aquilegia spp., Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), Prairie Smoke (Geum trifolium), Few-Flowered Shooting Star (Dodecatheon pulchellum)

Milk Vetch (Astragalus spp.) toxic, Locoweed (Oxytropis spp.) toxic, Native Silvery Lupin (Lupinus argenteus) and other Lupinus spp. toxic, Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia spp.), Broomrape (Orobanche spp.)

Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium), Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Potentilla spp. native species and cultivars are great

Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia and other native and exotic spp.), Native Larkspurs Delphium bicolour, D. glaucum or Nuttall’s Larkspur (D. nuttallianum) HIGH toxicity warning, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata), Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Penstemon spp., Canadian Milk Vetch (Astragalus Canadensis and other native spp.), Scarlet Globe Mallow  (Sphaeralcea coccinea) (red-listed grassland species), Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia polyacantha), Gumweed (Grindelia spp.)

Erigeron spp., Lilies (Erythronium spp.), Blue Gentian (Gentiana spp.), Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium spp.), Cranesbill Geranium (Geranium spp.)

Monkey Flower (Mimulus sp.), Summer Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.)

Native Annual: Bienenfreunde aka Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)

Late-Blooming Native Asteraceae: Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp.), Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.), Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritaceae), Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.), Coneflowers (Ratibida spp.), Black-eyed Susan the Alberta native is Rudbeckia serotina

Exotic Perennials: *Turtlehead: (Chelone glabra), Catmint (Nepeta cultivars) N. cataria can be invasive, *Sage (Salvia spp.) *Meadow Sage (Salvia pratensis), *Oregano, *Thyme, *Dragonhead (Dracocephalum spp.), California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Verbena spp.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.), Liatris spp., Comfrey (Symphytum spp.), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Hollyhocks (and other malva spp.), Wine Cup (Callirhoe involucrata), Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), Sea Holly (Eringeum spp.), Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro), Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) comes with an invasive warning, Caterpillar Flower (Phacelia bolerandi), Masterwort (Astrantia major), Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

Exotic Annuals: Borage (Borago officinalis), *Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), *Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica), Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) weedy warning, Blue Shrimp Plant (Cerinthe major), Moroccan Toadflax (Linaria maroccana)

Scarlet Runner Beans, *Nightshades (Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant, Potato), squash (Cucurbitae)

Globe Gilia (Gilia capitata), Zinnias (choose the large ones), Dahlias (Avoid doubles)

Let some of your veggies bloom for bees: radishes, kale, leeks, carrots, parsnips

Extra bee-friendly herbage: cilantro, fennel, dill, rosemary, mints, winter and summer savoury

Warning: Don’t plant Sainfoin (Onobrychis spp.)—I have recently found out that it is invasive in Alberta.

Sources and Recommended Reading:

Local native plants and seeds: http://www.wildaboutflowers.ca/

Native Plants for the Short Season Yard by Lyndon Penner. (This is a must-have book for the Albertan bumblebee gardener!!!!)

Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees by Lori Weidenhammer

Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Foraging Guide by Heather Holm. (Best for Eastern US, but some good info on more widespread native plants for bees.)

(You can buy these on Amazon, or support your local bookstore!)

Conserving Bumble Bees: Guidelines for Creating and Managing Habitat for America’s Declining Pollinators by the Xerces Society forInvertebrate Conservation. (This is available online for free.)

Bee-Watching at the Devonian Gardens

 My friend Sue and I visited the Devonian Gardens, just 15 minutes out of Edmonton. Since it's on the way to the airport, it was very convenient to visit on the way home. One of the plants that attracted the most varieties and numbers of bees was thyme, planted in carpets all through the main garden. These carpets provide important pollinator pathways throughout the gardens.

I don't think the pollen this honeybee has collected is from the thyme, but she is definitely topping up on nectar here.

This mystery mint was very popular with the bumblebees. It was difficult to find some of the labels.

There was a nice collection of columbines here in the shade. I think they look best mixed up like this.

 This aesthetic, introduced at the entrance to the garden was common throughout the site, with an emphasis on xeriscape plants. I'm excited that shrubby penstamon in hardy to this zone. It's such a beautiful bumblebee plant. In the background of this photo you can see some children dressing as bugs, bees and butterflies for a special family program in the garden.

So this is the silver lupin that is native to the prairies. It's gorgeous.

 In the foreground you'll see a species of plantain that was attracting bees.

 These chives by the lake were the largest I've ever seen!

 Here's some milkweed from by favorite part of the garden, the native Alberta plants.

 Slopes entirely covered in pebbles--not so great for ground nesting bees.

Gardens with patches of bare soil were covered with ground-nesting bees.

There were lots of leafcutter bees on these asters. I like the combination with the seed heads of the pulsatilla.

 This hardy yellow rose reminds me of my grandma May, who had them in her garden in Luseland, Saskatchewan.

I think this Assiniboine rose is what I was seeing all over Edmonton, full of bumblebees.

Don't you think this would be the perfect place for a princess-themed birthday party?

Here are some nets, ready for kids to play with bugs.

 This dainty plant is blue woodruff.

 I'm curious whether the colour variation in the Veronica is two cultivars side by side.

And it seems this Veronica is mislabeled as Salvia. No?

Sue snaps photos of some Canada Geese goslings.

The Japanese garden is tranquil, but eerie. No bees. It's too manicured and lacking in bee forage.

Only there were some swallowtail butterflies dancing on the irises.

What a treat to finally visit a garden I have passed by so many time since my childhood, always imagining it was a garden based on the Devonian geological era! I can't wait to return.

Don't Sit on the Bees of Edmonton!

When I arrived at my friend's house I was happy to see a small patch of flowers that was busy with the bees of Edmonton. These painted daisies attracted many species of bees.

There are many forms of Veronica, and this was one I hadn't seen before. The bumblebees love it.

I was very encouraged to see this sign, but Edmonton seems very lawn proud. The city was just laying new turf on the boulevard in front of the house as I arrived. I am so tempted to roll it up and plant the West Coast Seeds low-growing lawn alternative instead. But I was very impressed with the amount of workers the city is employing on their maintenance crews. Later a truck with a giant tank of water drove by with a man watering the lawns from the truck. Wow. Too bad they aren't watering a bee-friendly alternative to turf.

There is a strong tradition of gardening in Edmonton in the private and public sectors and this place has potential to become an official bee-friendly city.

So, bees often make a liar of me. It's ironic that two days after I tell someone bees don't forage in peonies I see this. Can you spot the "sleeping bee"?

She wasn't sleeping after all. I am very curious about the cause of her death. She doesn't appear to be very old.

I never see bees in these flowers in Vancouver. At least some of the time and water going into these hanging baskets is feeding the bees, but we can do better!

There are so many of these lovely roses in Edmonton. The bumblebees LOVE them.

A sign invites me to sit and rest a while.

 Don't sit on the bees! Notice the evidence of leafcutter activity.

The ninebark attracts Andrena mining bees. What a lovely spot!

Shelf Life Books: My New Favorite Book Store

It was a thrill to be warmly welcomed to Shelf Life Books in Calgary. What an amazing book store! There is lots of work by local authors, chap books, gorgeous gardening books, and just an amazing eclectic, well-curated selection of books. Yes, books. No chachkas, umbrellas, clothing and other useless crap. Very refreshing.

And one of the highlights of the trip was to meet two amazing local bee experts: bumblebee expert Dr. Ralph Cartar and ecologist Mark Wonneck, who helps farmers grow eco-buffers for bees. Ralph brought two examples of simple bumblebee boxes you can make and hang in trees. They are simply filled with organic upholstery cotton and hung in trees. He cleans them out at the end of the season and showed us the remnants of some nests.

One cool thing we learned was that healthy nests tend to only produce female bees. Weaker nests produce males. Huh.

 Mark brought a beautiful box of bees, which we oohed and aahed over. And then I asked each dude to choose a bee they thought should be the official bee of Alberta. A hilarious double act ensued, with Ralph choosing Bombus flavifrons and Mark nominating the Andrena bees of Alberta because they can carry so much pollen on their velvety bodies. He joked that the bumblebees are the charismatic mini fauna of the bee world. Actually, this gave me an idea: maybe each province and territory should have one official bumblebee and one official "other" bee. Just to bee fair.

I also finally learned how to pronounce Psytherus (SITH-er-us).  (Yes, like the Sith from Star Wars, as Mark pointed out). And Coelioxys is pronounced SEE- Lee-OX-is.

One of the staff even brought flowers from his garden for the display. How sweet!

I was very pleased that my family could attend the Calgary launch, along with some dear friends I haven't seen in a long time. It's so good for the heart to reconnect with those important folks to be able to share key moments in your life. And in such a rare gem of a bookstore.

Alberta: The Promised Land

My dad calls Alberta "the promised land," always with a mischievous grin.

As a place where I spent time in the foothills at summer camp, it has a special place in my heart.

 I feel at home here with the flora and fauna. The lilacs are blooming now, but so are the blanket flower. The bloom phenology seems compressed this year. Does that mean there will be bloom gaps for bees? I worry about these things.

 Next year I vow to do a trip just to see the bees and wildflowers. I'll make appointments with the prairies and foothills and leave my laptop far behind.

The colors here are so soothing.

The views are stunning.

And so are the bees.