Several bumblebee species are considered at risk in Quebec due to threats from pesticide use, the transmission and spread of pathogens, negative impacts due to climate change and severe weather, and reduced food sources caused by intensive agriculture.
The Fédération de l’Union des Producteurs Agricoles de la Montérégie has been working for years to protect species through a program aimed at mobilizing the agricultural community to improve habitats for species at risk. With funding from the Fondation de la Faune du Quebec, a total of $317,800 will be invested over the next four years to help farmers adopt more sustainable practices to protect a dozen species at risk, including bumblebees.
To date, over 55 producers have improved habitats for pollinators on their farms by planting flowering bands along their fields. Around 20 farmers have also been working directly with researcher Amélie Morin, who is completing her doctorate in plant biology at the Université de Laval with a focus on bumblebee nutrition.
As part of her research, Morin analyzes the nutritional content of pollen collected from different flowers to identify which flowers offer specific benefits to bumblebees. She also conducts health assessments on endangered bumblebee species that test for behavioural changes, pathogens, and nutrient deficiencies. Her findings will be used to develop flower mix recommendations for farmers looking to improve habitats for these important pollinators on their farms.
Her work is primarily conducted on working farms in the Montérégie and in other areas of Quebec where endangered bumblebee species have been sighted. She uses the citizen science platform INaturalist to track bumblebee activity and distribution.
What Morin has discovered is that like human food, flowers have different nutritional values for bumblebees. “Some flowers have a lot of protein, so you could compare them to a steak or tofu. That is really good for the beginning of the season when they are laying their eggs,” she explained. Some flowers are rich in vitamins like fruits or vegetables, while others act to eliminate pathogens, similar to antibiotics.
Morin confirmed there are also “fast-food flowers” that are high in sugars, like dandelions. “These are popular at the beginning of the season, but bumblebees feeding 100 per cent on dandelions could not produce eggs or reproduce due to a lack of protein,” she explained. “A diverse, balanced diet from various flowers is essential.”
Preliminary results from Morin’s study suggest the pollen from maple and willow trees is high in protein, while indigenous flowers such as goldenrod and asters are generally beneficial. Sunflowers and other flowers in the Asteraceae family have also been shown to reduce pathogens. A mix of trees, shrubs and flowers is best.
Morin explained that her work demonstrates that agricultural spaces are vital habitats for bumblebees. “I think we can really make a difference for these bees. They live in a one-kilometre radius, so when a farmer does something, it really helps the community,” she said, noting conservation efforts can easily be integrated into backyards as well.