There is a growing public interest in increasing pollinator habitat in urban areas. Monarda fistulosa is a commonly planted perennial species chosen for pollinator habitats of various sizes, from residential gardens to large-scale prairie restoration projects. Previous research has confirmed a preference for M. fistulosa among various bee species. We monitored and marked bumble bees visiting M. fistulosa over a 14-hour period, seeking to understand the daily pattern of bee visitation. We also observed bumble bees on the following day to determine the probability of marked individual bumble bees continuing to forage on M. fistulosa or to switch to a different flower the next day. We found that while visitation to M. fistulosa throughout the day remained consistent, larger, long-tongued species (Bombus auricomus) were more likely to visit through the afternoon than smaller, medium-tongued species (Bombus impatiens, Bombus bimaculatus). Long-tongued bumble bees were more likely to return to M. fistulosa on our second study day. This suggests that while M. fistulosa can support a wide range of bee species, a variety of native plant species, including flowers with short corollas, will best support bee diversity within an urban pollinator garden.
Bernstein et al. (Tue,) studied this question.