Subject: Keeping bees native to the US midwest

From: [email-masked] (Patricia Schwalm)
Date: 11 Mar 1996 14:53:48 GMT

I just discovered this group, and didn't see this topic listed.
Hope it's not inappropriate, off topic, or beaten to death.

We bought a 10 acre hobby farm in north central Illinois. 7 acres
are in grass/legume hay. There is a small oak woodlot. We would
like to plant an acre or so of native prairie plants, and restore
the woodlot. Whenever I've talked to prairie people about what
pollinates these flowers, I've never received an answer. The last
issue of _The Nature Conservancy_ had an article about a bee native
to Utah or Colorado; don't have the issue handy and can't remember
the species. I was planning on trying my hand at beekeeping, but
this article started me thinking about raising native bees instead.

The article mentioned this particular bee will pollinate clover, so
I'd have a food source available before the prairie plants get 
established.  Does anyone know what bee is native to Illinois,
is it a social insect, and can it be raised like a honeybee? I
have no particular interest in harvesting the honey, though that 
would be nice.

Patty

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From: Steve Bambara <[email-masked]>
Date: 14 Mar 1996 18:04:15 GMT

Does anyone know what bee is native to Illinois,
>have no particular interest in harvesting the honey, though that 

Patty,
	Your best source would be to call Doug Yanega at the Illinois Natural 
History Survey.  He is at Univ. Ill. Champaign/Urbanna in the Entomology 
department.
Maybe he is even listening now?  Doug, are you out there?
	If you write to me I'll give you his email address or phone number.

***************************************************************
Steve Bambara  Dept. of Entomology, Box 7626, Raleigh, NC 27695
[email-masked]    (919) 515-1661    fax (919) 515-7273