Bees in the Woods

Although we may think of bees as creatures of sunny meadows and gardens, eastern bees evolved in a historically forested landscape. Precolonial deciduous temperate forests were shifting mosaics of multi-aged vegetation and openings created by disturbances such as disease, storms, wind, beavers, and fire, including through Indigenous stewardship. Therefore, many eastern bee species have evolved to use different ages, elements, and parts of a complex forest system. Here, we outline the various habitat features that define the lives of these bees.