Honeybees

The Plainsboro Preserve had a honeybee hive out adjacent to one of their meadows. Though these are not wild bees (that hive was no doubt made and is being maintained by humans), there are also plenty of Western (aka European) Honeybees that are living wild in New Jersey.

I don't know the backstory on this hive. I'm assuming there were plants the preserve wanted pollinated, though it's possible that honeybees are a part of one of their educational programs. 

Honeybees are a slightly controversial insect, at least when they're not pollinating agricultural crops. This is because they aren't a native insect but are instead an introduced species, and when they take nectar/pollen from our flowers there is just less out there for our native pollinators (e.g. bumblebees, sweat bees, wasps, flower flies, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds). I suppose they might also help spread invasive plants they recognize as a food source that native pollinators might fail to recognize, though I have to admit I don't know of an example of that.

Agriculturally, the story is different. Many of our crops aren't native to North America and so our native pollinators may not effectively pollinate them. In situations like that, Western Honeybees may be vital to ensuring a reasonable crop is produced.

June 17, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve


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