We often hear about the need to 'Save The Bees'. Most people think this means domesticated honey bees, which are actually introduced species not native to Alberta that we humans manage essentially as livestock for crop pollination and honey production.
While there have been challenges with these 'managed' bees, these issues are being expertly dealt with by the Alberta Beekeepers Commission through the promotion of industry standard honey bee management techniques.
The larger 'Save The Bees' challenge is actually for Alberta's 320 native bee species, which have a great deal to do with pollination (for native and domesticated plants), but nothing to do with commercial honey production.
Many people have purchased honey bees and installed beehives in their yards in a well intentioned but misguided desire to 'save the bees'. From a native bee conservation perspective, that's like buying and raising chickens to save native songbirds.
There is much more information about Alberta's native bees and how to identify and encourage them on the Alberta Native Bee Council's website - albertanativebeecouncil 'dot' ca - including information on: