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Busy Little Pollinators

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Bees are probably the world’s best-known pollinators. They distribute pollen from one plant to the next as they collect nectar from the plant’s flowers. Many of our food crops are dependent on this activity to ensure that fruit will set, while other crops are improved by bee activity.

What do you know about the relationship between bees and agriculture? Try to score at least 50% to pass the quiz!

  • Question of

    Is it true that 75% of all food crops grown on the planet became extinct in the last century?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Is it true that 35% of the world’s food crops are dependent on bees and other pollinators?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    What percentage of food crops are improved by the presence of bees or other animal pollinators?

    • 35%
    • 50%
    • 67%
    • 87%
  • Question of

    Is it true that native bees like the bumblebee are as important to our food crops as honeybees?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    How many species of native bees live in North America?

    • 5 species
    • 21 speciess
    • 437 species
    • 4,000 species
  • Question of

    Honeybees are known for being social animals. Is it true that bumblebees are solitary by contrast?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    The honeybee was introduced to North America from what continent?

    • Asia
    • Europe
    • South America
    • Africa
  • Question of

    Is it true that bees are responsible for pollination of wheat, corn and rice – three of the world’s most important food crops?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Which of the following does NOT contribute to the loss of bee pollinators for our food crops?

    • Use of chemical pesticides
    • Certain irrigation practices
    • Using bats and predatory wasps to control insect populations
    • Removing weeds from areas where food crops are grown
  • Question of

    Do most native bees nest in hollow trees or similar spots, like wild honeybees do?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Which bees do the best job of pollinating tomatoes?

    • Honeybees
    • Cuckoo bees
    • Bumblebees
    • Mason bees
  • Question of

    One type of native bee services an entire family of plants and is named after it. What family is it?

    • Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries
    • Squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons
    • Blueberries, cranberries, huckleberries, and others
    • Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers
  • Question of

    What is another name for mason bees?

    • Cuckoo bees
    • Sweat bees
    • Mining bees
    • Orchard bees
  • Question of

    Why do male squash bees sometimes sleep inside flowers?

    • They get drunk on the nectar
    • They are too hot and need to rest in the shade
    • They are lazy and hiding from the female bees
    • They are hoping to encounter a female bee
  • Question of

    Pick the true statement:

    • Strawberries pollinated by a number of different types of bees are more uniform in shape
    • Strawberries pollinated by bumblebees will be lighter in color
    • Strawberries won’t grow unless they are pollinated by animals like bees
    • Bees increase the sugar-acid ratio of a strawberry crop
  • Question of

    Pick the false statement

    • Bumblebees are better at pollinating tomatoes than honeybees
    • Bumblebees leave bite marks on tomato flowers after visiting them
    • Tomatoes that result from “buzz pollination” are smaller and less tasty
    • Too much or too little humidity can interfere with the bees’ ability to pollinate tomatoes
  • Question of

    Pick the true statement

    • Catnip will attract bees to the garden
    • White and pale colors will repel bees
    • Bees dislike the color purple
    • Bees cannot see black

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Written by Blue Sailor

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