One-third of the global food supply is pollinated by non-native honeybees, a fact that becomes easy to appreciate once you understand how much these small workers carry.

That was among lessons Calgary gardener Sheryl Normandeau shared May 28 in the gardening speaker series hosted by Pincher Creek Municipal Library.

While honeybees are kept in hives, registered to either commercial or hobby beekeepers, native bees nest on their own. Together, they are the workhorses that ensure flowering plants turn into seeds, grains, berries, fruits and many vegetables.

Without a strong bee population, animal and human life would be severely disrupted. Ants, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds and other lesser-known pollinators would not be able to keep up.

Among native bees, Normandeau said, it is the females that build the nests in the ground or in decaying trees and gather the pollen that feeds the larvae when they hatch. This begins when the willow trees bloom — their shimmering green and yellow catkins are often the only food source for native bees in early spring, until other plants start blooming.

As bees fly from flower to flower to gather pollen, they spread small amounts of pollen caught on tiny hairs on their bodies. Plants as diverse as canola, cranberries, apples and broccoli all require cross-pollination for successful production.

Normandeau referenced the Alberta Native Bee Council and its mission to promote conservation and enhancement of native pollinators and their habitats. The council has noted that of the 903 species of native bees across Canada, 375 can be found in Alberta.

The council works with the Agroforestry and Woodlot Extension Society to build capacity and expand knowledge about native plants that are particularly appealing to pollinators.

The Alberta Beekeepers Commission notes Alberta is home to more than 150 commercial beekeepers, including the Liquid Gold Honey Co. of Cayley.

Collectively, they manage more than 315,000 honeybee colonies and produce more than 40 million pounds of honey each year. That makes Alberta the largest honey-producing province in Canada and the third-largest in North America.

Small-scale local hobby beekeepers may set up only one or two hives, simply out of fascination with these creatures that carry out so many different tasks. They make the wax that builds the combs that hold the honey and hunt for flower nectar, swallowing it into their special honey stomachs and taking it back to the hive, where other specialized bees remove the moisture so that it can be better preserved.

A hobby beekeeper holds up a frame taken from the centre of a hive. The yellow sections near the left are honeycomb cells already filled with honey and sealed with wax. | Photo by Jan Frith

One tactic is to have hundreds of bees fan their wings in unison to help remove moisture from the nectar. The resulting honey is then stored in the honeycombs and keeps the bees alive until the next season’s blossoms appear.

The fewer flowers and the less nectar, the farther bees must fly to hunt for food, and the more plant fertilization and food production are threatened. At these times, beekeepers may provide sugar-water mixes to help keep the bees fed.

Motorists may notice, at times, that hives in fields alongside the highway are set only two boxes high, while later in the season they appear taller. Beekeepers wait until the bees have filled the lower two boxes with honey. The bees use these for their own needs over the winter. Honey deposited in the third and higher boxes is considered surplus and can be harvested.

For those whose curiosity is piqued, there’s a chance to learn more on July 4, when Heritage Acres Farm Museum hosts a hands-on honeybee demonstration.

Kathryn Knowles, a master’s student at the University of Lethbridge, will speak at 10 a.m., followed by a live demonstration of hives located on the museum grounds.

Preregistration and proper footwear are required. More information can be found at bit.ly/3SCUUh9.