How to reduce bee poisoning from pesticides

Published December 2006. A more recent revision exists. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogCommercially managed honey bees pollinate a variety of crops in the Pacific Northwest, including tree fruits, berries, cucurbits, and crops grown for seed. This activity is economically significant. In 2004, the value of bee-­pollinated crops in the region was approximately $1.7 billion. Nationally, the value of bee-pollinated crops in 2000 was approximately $14.6 billion. While honey bees are our most economically\ud important pollinators, other managed bees, such as the alfalfa leaf cutting bee and the alkali bee, are important as well. Native wild bees, including numerous species of bumble bee and orchard mason bees, are also prolific pollinators. The estimated annual value of crops pollinated by wild, native bees in the U.S. is $3 billion. Hundreds of species of bees are native to the Pacific Northwest. The full value of their pollination services is unknown. The sensitivity of native bees to pesticides generally has not been studied