Pollination Partnerships!
If you drink coffee, eat chocolate, or put honey in your tea, you need to thank pollinators! Find out about all the yummy foods and free service we humans enjoy, thanks to pollinators.
- 1.
Which of these creatures is a pollinator?
- A.
Hummingbird
- B.
Ground beetle
- C.
Butterflies and moths
- D.
Solitary bees and syrphid flies
- E.
All of the above!
Correct Answer
E. All of the above!Explanation
The other three answers probably didn't surprise you, but I'll bet you didn't bet on beetles as pollinators! Of the world’s almost 350,000 flowering plants, including native Wild Ginger, it is thought that beetles are responsible for pollinating close to 90 percent of them!Rate this question:
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- 2.
How many bee species can be found in Michigan?
- A.
25
- B.
450
- C.
3,600
- D.
20,000
Correct Answer
B. 450Explanation
There are more than 450 kinds of bees in Michigan, 3600 types of bees in the USA, and 20,000 bee species around the world!Rate this question:
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- 3.
The EIC has maintained honeybee hives on campus for over 25 years, pictured here. How long have humans been keeping bees to produce food and drink, like honey and to fertilize flowers that produce fruits, vegetables, and nuts?
- A.
Since medieval times, to make mead from honey to drink instead of unclean water
- B.
July 4, 1776
- C.
The 1970s, when organic foods grew in popularity
- D.
As early as 2500 B.C.E
Correct Answer
D. As early as 2500 B.C.EExplanation
Domesticated beekeeping was a common practice throughout the ancient world, starting at least as early as 2500 B.C.E. in Egypt and likely even earlier in China. Depictions of beehives and honeypots, and beekeepers using smoke to calm bees, were found on the walls of the Sun Temple of the Egyptian pharaoh Nyuserre Ini, and intact clay and straw hives from 900 B.C.E. were discovered in archaeological sites in Israel.Rate this question:
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- 4.
How do honeybees give their sisters directions to good nectar sources?
- A.
GPS (global positioning system)
- B.
AAA maps
- C.
The "waggle dance" and circle dance--do-si-do
- D.
A compass
Correct Answer
C. The "waggle dance" and circle dance--do-si-doExplanation
The waggle dance tells the watching bees two things about a flower patch’s location: the distance and the direction away from the hive. Let’s take a closer look at how this works. The dancing bee waggles back and forth as she moves forward in a straight line, then circles around to repeat the dance. The length of the middle line, called the waggle run, shows roughly how far it is to the flower patch. The circle dance tells the watching bees only one thing about the flower patch’s location: that it is somewhere close to the hive. In this dance, the bee walks in a circle, turns around, then walks the same circle in the opposite direction. The duration of this waggle is thought to indicate the quality of the flower patch she has found.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Why is this "fly in disguise" not a bee?
- A.
Flies, as a group, have one set of wings; bees, wasps, and hornets have two sets of wings
- B.
Fly antennae are short and stubby, while bees have longer, movable, elbow-shaped antennae.
- C.
Bees, wasps, and hornets have stingers. Flies have no stingers, but can inflict painful bites with their scissor-like mouthparts!
- D.
All of the above!
Correct Answer
D. All of the above!Explanation
Syrphid flies, also called hover flies for the way they fly, are frequent flower visitors to a wide range of wild plants, as well as agricultural crops, and are often considered the second-most important group of pollinators after wild bees.Rate this question:
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- 6.
According to information on the Pollinator Power Party website, why are pollinators around the world experiencing global population declines?
- A.
Habitat loss and fragmentation
- B.
Pollution
- C.
Pesticide use
- D.
All of the above!
Correct Answer
D. All of the above!Explanation
Over the past 70 years, the United States has experienced a dramatic decline in honey bee colonies from about 5.9 million in 1947 to just 2.7 million in 2017--a 55% reduction. A surveyor from Michigan State University found population numbers for half of Michigan’s bumblebee species have declined by 50% or more. Visit the Pollinator Power Party website to learn more.Rate this question:
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- 7.
What is this structure?
- A.
Dispenser for alternative options to plastic straws
- B.
Way to show support for UM-Dearborn
- C.
"Insect hotel" for native pollinators
- D.
Bird house for verrrry tiny birds
Correct Answer
C. "Insect hotel" for native pollinatorsExplanation
In the wild, solitary insect species, like wood-boring beetles and solitary bees, search for cavities in wood to lay eggs. These cavities are typically left by burrowing beetles, woodpeckers, or the tree’s own natural growth. Creating an insect hotel on your own is an easy way to add a creative and functional feature to your garden or landscape. The most important feature of the hotel should be to keep it as natural as possible.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Which flowers are helpful to local pollinators?
- A.
Varieties of Goldenrod species
- B.
Dandelion
- C.
Wild Bergamot, also called Bee Balm
- D.
All of the above!
Correct Answer
D. All of the above!Explanation
Yes, dandelions DO have a purpose! One stem of a dandelion holds 50-100 individual flowers full of pollen and nectar. Keep a section of your yard open to dandelions for early pollination. At the other end of summer, goldenrod species are among the last sip of nectar available to pollinators. Goldenrod pollen is insect dispersed, unlike wind-dispersed ragweed pollen, often the cause of allergy problems. Bee Balm is very well named, even though a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly is pictured... :)Rate this question:
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- 9.
On the EIC PolliNation web page, what actions can we take in our own neighborhoods and communities to help pollinators around the world?
- A.
Plant native flower species and trees to provide food and host plants for pollinators
- B.
Put up "insect hotels" around your yard and garden to welcome pollinators
- C.
Reduce or eliminate pesticide use in your home and garden
- D.
Do ALL of these things and more!!
Correct Answer
D. Do ALL of these things and more!!Explanation
The Environmental Interpretive Center welcomes individuals interested in Michigan pollinators to participate in the PolliNation Project. Although Covid-19 has altered workshop plans, there are still ways to welcome pollinators to your yard, identify them, and virtually report your findings as a Citizen Scientist. Check out the PolliNation YouTube video for an overview of the project's goals and plans.Rate this question:
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