Concordia Pollinators Initiative
Meet the "Team"
There are hundreds of different species of native solitary bees in Canada. These bees are not social and do not interact with other bees of their species except to mate. Each female creates her own nest and lays her own eggs. While solitary bees do not produce honey, they are often 2 - 3 times more efficient pollinators than honey bees.
Solitary Bees
These showy insects not only visit plants to drink the nectar, but also often have close associations with particular "host plants". Butterflies and moths that have host plants must eat some part of the plant during a certain stage in their development. Monarch butterfly larvae, for example, must consume the leaves of the Milkweed plant.
Butterflies & Moths
While they are one of the most commonly seen pollinators, honey bees are not native to Canada. Several varieties have been introduced from various places in the world.
Honey bees are social - they live in large colonies and only the queen produces eggs. Of course, honey bees also produce honey.
Honey Bees
There are many other kinds of animals that pollinate flowers, including wasps, beetles, ants, hummingbirds, and bats.