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today's levels?

One study suggests that this is quite possible. Claire Kremen of Princeton University studied the pollination capabilities of native bees. Her researchers monitored bee activity at several watermelon farms in southern California. European honeybees gathered pollen from all of the farms in the study, but the farm that was nearest to wild native bee habitats had a significantly larger workforce of bees. Researchers concluded that the native bees could take over pollination on watermelon farms, should the honeybee fail, but only on farms that restore or establish native bee habitats on their lands.

However, a larger problem looms on the horizon. Native pollinators have suffered population decreases as well. They face many of the same problems as the honeybee, with pesticides, diseases, pests, loss of habitat and predators all playing a part. Furthermore, competition from honeybees reduced the populations of wild native bees in America.

So, while our native pollinators may rise to the pollination challenge if honeybees fall short, this does not negate the need for finding and resolving the issues that are causing honeybee population declines. No matter what type of pollinator becomes predominant in the future, we still must increase our efforts to halt the destruction of their habitats and limit or abandon the use of pesticides. Furthermore, we should stop importing new species of pollinators which could carry diseases or pests that might endanger our native pollinators.

In short, we must work to protect what we have, or we will lose it.

Learn more about this author, MK Handley.
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