Little Bees in the Big Valley!
Long ago, the Santa Clara Valley was full of open dirt, trees, and wild flowers. Today, our valley has many roads, houses, and stores. All these buildings make the ground hotter and drier, leaving fewer flowers for local native bees.
Here is how wild native bees survive the heat, and how we can help them!
1. Bees Have Built-In Air Conditioning!
When bees fly on hot days, their tiny engines (their wing muscles) get very hot!
- The Problem: If a bee gets too hot, it loses water and gets tired quickly.
- The Bee Trick: Some native bees can move heat from their chest down to their belly to cool off while flying! They also rest in the shade when the sun is too bright.
2. Sleeping Underground
Did you know that 7 out of 10 native bees in our valley build their homes in the dirt?
- Digging Tunnels: Mom bees dig tiny tunnels deep under the ground where the soil stays cool and damp.
- Waterproof Blankets: To keep her babies safe from dry weather and mold, the mom bee covers the walls of her underground room with a special waterproof coating she makes herself!
3. Native Plants are Bee Superfoods!
Not all flowers are the same! Local California plants know how to save water and make sweet nectar even when it hasn't rained.
- California Buckwheat
- Black Sage
- California Poppy
These plants act like thirst-quenching juice boxes for native bees during the hottest parts of summer.
How YOU Can Be a Bee Hero!
When we plant California native flowers in our yards, schools, and gardens:
- We give bees delicious food all spring and summer.
- We shade the dirt, keeping the ground cool.
- We give native bees a place to live and build their underground nests.
The Big Idea: Native bees need water, flowers, and cool soil. When we plant drought-friendly California flowers, we help our local bees stay cool, healthy, and strong!