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Why Pollinators Matter

The Importance of Bees

Experienced local beekeepers Adele and Lucy, members of the Raritan Valley Beekeepers Association, will present an introduction to insect pollinators and why they matter.

Four things are needed to grow an apple for your table: sunlight, water, nutrients … and pollinators. Worldwide, ¾ of all flowering plants depend upon pollinators. Some scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators like bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and beetles and other insects. Most pollinators are beneficial insects. More than 3,500 species of native bees contribute significantly to crop pollination.

The Western Honey bee is the most efficiently managed pollinator, however, the managed use of native and wild bees (especially in orchards and greenhouses) is being explored due to rising costs
of pollination services.

Experienced local beekeepers Adele and Lucy, members of the team that developed the Beginner Beekeeping Course for the Raritan Valley Beekeepers Association, will present an introduction to insect pollinators and why they matter.

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