The Bee Squad Was Here!
Becky Masterman, UMN Bee Squad Associate Program Director, visited WRC and shared her knowledge of local and global bee health. The Bee Squad provides extension support for bee keepers, shares bee health with the public, and offers creative outlets to community programming. The program is funded through grants.She shared that lack of flowers and the use of pesticides are what is causing the most stress for bees. The best thing we can do to help them is just plant flowers! We learned that there are 460 different types of bees that are native to MN, including the adorable bumble bee. Honey bees are not native to the U.S. and were imported from Europe.
The Bee squad has many outreach programs and educational opportunities. To buzz around their site and gain more knowledge about bees, visit here.