HOW SHE IS ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO
PURSUE THEIR PASSION.
>> Karen: THEY DO MORE THAN JUST
MAKE FLOWERS LOOK PRETTY.
>> Jason: BEES ARE AN ESSENTIAL
PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM AND
ECONOMY.
LET’S BRING IN PAULA TUTMAN FOR
AN UPDATE ON THE BEES IN
MICHIGAN.
HI, PAULA.
>> Paula: HOPE YOU’RE DOING WELL
THIS EVENING.
YOU KNOW, HERE’S THE THING:
WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF BEES, THEY
THINK THEY’RE IMPORTANT ONLY FOR
PEOPLE WHO LOVE FLOWERS AND
PLANTS, BUT IT’S SO MUCH MORE.
IF YOU HAVE A DINNER TABLE, YOU
NEED TO BEWARE OF THE STATE OF
THE BEES IN MICHIGAN.
IT’S HONEY BEE SWARM SEASON AND
ACCORDING TO TIMOTHY AND NICOLE,
COFOUNDERS OF DETROIT HIVES, WE
SHAUF BUMPER CROP OF HONEY BEES
THIS SEASON THANKS TO COVID-19.
>> PEOPLE WERE OUT ON THEIR
LAWNS, AND MOST FACTORIES WERE
SHUT DOWN AND THE ENVIRONMENT
HAD A HUGE BREAK.
WE’VE SEEN TONS OF MORE INSECTS
DUE TO THIS, MORE BEES, MORE
WASPS AND MORE BUTTERFLIES.
>> Paula: BEES LIKE IT WHEN
HUMANS ARE IN A PANDEMIC
LOCKDOWN.
>> THE BEES AND INSECTS THRIVE
IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS WHILE WE
WERE OUTSIDE.
>> Paula: THE ENTOMOLOGIST AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA IN
WINNIPEG, CANADA, DID A BEE
CENSUS AT MSU TO GATHER BEE
DATA.
>> THERE’S A DIFFERENT SERIES OF
BEES IN THE UPPER PENINSULA, THE
LOWER PENINSULA, AND THE RANGES
OF HABITATS.
EACH OF THESE HAS A DIFFERENT
BEE COMMUNITY.
>> Kim: IT WILL HELP US
UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON IN
THE BEE WORLD.
>> AND WE SOUND 465 DIFFERENT
SPECIES, 13% OF ALL IN THE UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES.
>> Paula: EACH SPECIES IS A
SPECIALIST.
>> DIFFERENT PLANTS HAVE
DIFFERENT SORT OF SHAPES AND
SIZES OF FLOWERS, AND SO
DIFFERENT BEES ARE MORE
EFFECTIVE AT POLLINATING THOSE
THAN OTHERS.
AND WE HAVE THE HONEY BEE AND
GOES TO DIFFERENT CROPS.
BUT HONEY BEES ARE NOT
NECESSARILY THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
SO HAVING THE DIVERSITY OF BEES,
THEY’LL BE POLLINATING THE CROPS
MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN HONEY BEES
AND ACTUALLY FOR FREE IF WE
MAINTAIN NIT A WAY THAT’S
SUITABLE FOR THEM.
>> Paula: AND HEALTHY BEES MEANS
HEALTHY HUMANS.
THIS YEAR, WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE
LARGER AND MORE ABUNDANT
QUANTITIES OF MICHIGAN FRUITS
AND VEGETABLES.
OUR WORK IS NOT DONE YET.
>> WE CAN ALWAYS HELP BY TRYING
TO STAY PESTICIDE-FREE.
THEY CAN GET INTO THE BEEHIVES
BECAUSE THEY’RE IN THE FLOWERS
AND THEY TAKE TRACE AMOUNTS OF
THAT THROUGH THE POLLEN AND THE
NECTAR.
YOU ALWAYS CAN HELP BY PLANTING
FLOWERS. AND IF YOU PLANT THE NATIVES,
AND IF YOU PLANT THE NATIVES,
IT’S HELPFUL TO ALL OF OUR
POLLENATORS.
>> Paula: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY
BEAUTIFUL FOR ALL BEES.
ALL OF THIS WILL BE VERY, VERY
TEMPORARY, AND WE’RE REBOOTING
OUR BIRDS, BEES & BUTTERFLIES
SERIES AND ALLOWS YOU TO DIAL IN
TO THE POLLINATING COMMUNITY.
SO WE WANT YOU TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU
WANT TO SEE AND WHAT YOU ARE
DOING, AND WE’LL DIAL IN WITH
YOU.
BUT WE’LL BE GIVING YOU
INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE
SUMMER TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR
GARDENS BUT ALSO TO HELP GROW
THINGS THAT BEES ACTUALLY LIKE.
JUST NOT IN THIS WEATHER, GUYS.
SPRING IS COMING, I PROMISE.
>> Karen: IT IS, PAULA.
I REMEMBER YOU INTRODUCED US
LAST YEAR AND YOU TAUGHT ME
SOMETHING, WHICH IS HARD TO
TEACH SOMEONE WHO IS HORRIBLE IN
GARDENING AND PLANTING THINGS,
BUT YOUR TIPS WERE WONDERFUL.