Buzz Pollinators or Gardeners that Sound like Jet Engines
It’s not a bird or a plane, it’s a native Australian bee!
I always hear Blue-banded and Teddy Bear bees before I see them. They are LOUD. Whether they are flying or pollinating, they are buzzing like the proverbial busy bee. Other species of buzz pollinator are far more difficult to find as they are quiet and small.
A recent trend has seen people experimenting with them as an alternative for crop pollination. Their European cousins (Apis melliferis) that are used to produce honey, are not buzz pollinators. Their main competitor for buzz pollination of Australian crops is the controversial Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) which is being used in experiments on the geographically isolated island state of Tasmania. This bee has proved invasive on that island, as well as having the potential to bring in pathogens that threaten commercial honey bees and pollinating weed species that are limited at this time. For more on the potential risks of Bombus terrestris on the Australian environment, click here.
I am fortunate to see them in my own garden, because these bees are shy and wary. I witnessed why one afternoon when I was watching one. Right before my eyes a Grey Butcher Bird flew in and snapped it out of the air. This was an impressive feat.
