Letter to the editor: It’s time to think beyond the honeybee

Editor:

Supporting honeybees to address pollinator decline is like being concerned about birds and deciding to raise chickens. Nothing wrong with chickens — or honeybees — but neither address the threats facing our native species.

North America has over 4,000 species of native bees, and none of them live in large hives. They include mason bees, iridescent sweat bees, leaf cutter bees, miner bees, and my favorite, bumblebees. Honeybees, a European import, work best with monocultures, such as apple or cherry orchards. But many important crops rely on our native bees.

And pollination is not just about us and our food production. It is nature’s big exchange. Plants provide energy and nutrition while the visiting pollinators distribute the plants’ genes. Pollination is the engine that keeps our wonderful Northwest ecosystem running.

The City of Woodinville recently took action to support pollinators. Their City Council voted to join Seattle, Bellingham, Samamish, Puyallup, Olympia, and Vancouver in becoming a Bee City. Bee City USA is an initiative of the Xerxes Society, which works for the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.

It’s time for Edmonds, Lynnwood, and Mountlake Terrace to support their pollinators by also becoming Bee Cities. This involves:
• Enhancing pollinator habitat by adding native and pollinator-friendly plants
• Reducing the use of pesticides through an integrated pest management plan
• Incorporating pollinator-conscious practices into city policies

Woodinville received assistance from Pollinator Pathway NW, which stands ready to help other municipalities with habitat protection.

William McClain, Lynnwood