Buzzing from flower to flower, bees shape the world around us. From upholding our food system to preserving biodiversity, bees are our best pollinators. But did you know these facts about bees?

There are 4,000 native bee species in America.¹  Bees come in as many sizes, shapes and colors as the flowers they pollinate. Even the world’s smallest bee — just 2 millimeters long — calls America home!

Bees don’t just live in hives! Only social bees live in hives, making up 10% of bee species across the world.²  Other bees can be found in marshes, sand dunes, cliffs, peatlands, wetlands, grasslands, quarries, gravel pits, sea walls and even more amazing places. But across the country, their habitat is being destroyed by human activity.

One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators.³  From coffee to strawberries to chocolate, we can thank bees for many of our favorite treats. Bees work hard to help make the delicious food we eat possible. It’s time we return the favor and work hard to help the bees.

Just a tiny amount of neonicotinoid pesticides can cause permanent brain damage in baby bees when brought into hives. Many bee populations are in freefall, and we’re working to ban the worst uses of neonics to turn this around and save the bees.

These incredible insects face many threats, but with your help, Environment Illinois is committed to protecting all our pollinators.

Thank you,
Paloma Paez-Coombe
Associate

P.S. If you enjoyed learning more about bees, please donate to support all our work — from saving endangered species to protecting our environment to stopping the plastic waste crisis.

1. Steve Buchman, “Perdita minima–‘World’s Smallest Bee’,” U.S. Forest Service, last accessed September 8, 2022. 
2. “Bees,” University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, last accessed May 10, 2022.
3. “US Pollinator Information,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, last accessed May 10, 2022. 

Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you.

Environment Illinois
17 N. State St., Suite 1330, Chicago, IL 60602, (312) 544-4430
Member questions or requests call 1-800-401-6511.
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