You have probably heard us at Xerces talk about protecting pollinators: bees, butterflies, and other bugs that help flowering plants reproduce by moving pollen from one flower to another. The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year (in just that one country).
That also means that many of our favorite seasonal foods are available with help from hardworking pollinators! With several holiday meals coming up, whether we prepare for feasts or simply a weeknight meal using seasonal fare, it is worth taking a moment to meet the insects that help make these foods possible!
Squash bees make finding squashes a priority
One of my favorite fall vegetables to roast in the oven is squash, particularly delicata squash with lots of olive oil, salt, pepper, and my special addition: a dash of curry powder. I had delicata squash growing in my garden this summer, and occasionally when I would be out enjoying the high sun in the middle of the day, I would check the bright yellow squash flowers for squash bees.
Sure, other pollinators sometimes visit squash flowers - bumble bees and green sweat bees may show up - but squash bees really have a passion for their namesake. Unlike many bees that wait until the sun is high and temperature is just right, squash bees head out to forage for pollen early in the morning, right when squash flowers first open.
They do know how to relax, though! Squash bees can often be found resting in closed squash flowers later in the afternoon, which does seem like a great place for a midday summer nap to me.
Cranberries benefit from bees with a special buzz
Cranberries are another fall staple, but not really something that I would get super excited about eating raw. Cook them up with a little sugar and orange juice, though, and you get another tasty treat that is possible thanks to bees!
Cranberry pollen is actually too heavy to be easily carried by the wind to other plants, and the flowers’ shape makes it unlikely to pollinate itself. To produce fruit, these plants benefit greatly from native bee species, which have evolved to navigate these challenges.
The star pollinators for cranberries are bees that have a special technique called buzz pollination where the bee will grab the flower and buzz loudly to shake off heaps of pollen. Bumble bees are a popular example of buzz pollinators.
However, there is also the eastern cranberry bee (Melitta americana), which specializes just on cranberry and blueberry plants. Though we don’t know too much about these mysterious bees, we do know they are solitary bees that nest in the ground, like most native bee species.
Onions, carrots, celery… and flies
Oh, onions, carrots, and celery. This trio is the start of many soups, stews, and sauces. Did you know that insect pollinators help us grow these crops too? Although the plants do not require pollination before the vegetable parts (roots, stalks, etc) are ready to harvest, seed production of crops like these benefit significantly from insect pollination of the flowers. Vegetable farmers rely on this seed production to happen first before they can sow seeds to start these delicious crops.
Insects like flies have actually been found to be pretty good pollinators for these vegetables! One group of flies, hover flies, seem to love plants that produce flat collections of little flowers, which they use like a landing pad to hang out on. But perhaps more important than being a good perch, these small flowers are relatively shallow. Hover flies have short tongues (unlike the long, curling tongues of butterflies, for example), so they can easily reach the nectar at the bottom of the shallow flowers!
Carrots, celery, parsnips, and several other edible plants have these flat collections of little flowers that hover flies love. In fact, one name for this group of plants is Umbelliferae, with “Umbel” referring to the groups of flowers on these plants, which contain multiple flower stalks coming from a single point, like an umbrella!
Onions are in a different family of plants, but also have umbels, just in a ball-like cluster instead of a platform. Hover flies are a fan of onion umbels, too. So keep an eye out for these special flies the next time you pass by a cluster of small flowers!
How to protect the insects that make our food possible
There is a lot we can do to help pollinators, so they can keep helping make our favorite foods.
Plant habitat, reduce disturbances, and avoid pesticides
Planting a diverse habitat that provides food, nesting, and overwintering resources to a diversity of pollinating insects can help increase overall pollinator populations. Even a small space, like a balcony or porch can be a meaningful piece of habitat! For larger spaces, reconsider how you mow and tidy. Limit mowing to areas you actually use for recreation or agriculture, and leave fallen leaves in autumn. Avoid using pesticides as much as possible, as many are very harmful to pollinators and other wildlife.
Support farmers that support pollinators
One of the best ways to get your food from a pollinator-friendly farm is to get to know a local farmer. Look for a farmers market in your area, and talk with the vendors about how they grow their crops. Ask about how they manage pest issues, and whether they grow native flowering plants alongside their crops. While some pollinator-friendly farmers may still use pesticides as a last resort, the goal for reducing harms to pollinators is to manage everyday issues with gentler methods.
Likewise, there are different ways farmers might choose to provide pollinator habitat on their farms. For example, ask if they use any pollinator-friendly cover crops, like buckwheat. As long as the farmer is thinking thoroughly about these concepts means that they have these insects in mind when making difficult business decisions.
Look for certified foods
If finding farmers is difficult in your area, there are other ways to get a good sense of where crops have come from in a grocery store. Labels like “Organic” can give you some sense of practices that may be used and may be beneficial or harmful to insects, but keep in mind that some organic pesticides are still toxic to pollinators. Bee Better Certified is a new label created by Xerces that certifies pollinator-friendly farming operations — look for it in stores!
As a pollinator and beneficial insect conservation planner and partner biologist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Erin provides technical assistance on pollinator and other beneficial insect conservation in the state of Maine. This work includes planning, designing, installing, and managing habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
