Pollinator services: Approximately 4,000 species of wild bees in the United States contribute to agricultural pollination. The economic value of insect pollination totals over $34 billion. As much as 35% of the world's food crops depend on pollinators to reproduce. Bee with yellow pollen sacs on its legs, honey bees in a hive, monarch butterfly on a white flower, corn field.
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There are approximately 4,000 species of native wild bees in the United States that contribute to agricultural pollination. Several other animals like birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, and beetles also help pollinate crops. In return, agricultural crops provide food to meet daily energy needs, shelter, and other resources for pollinators. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the economic value of the relationship of pollinators and global crops is more than $235 billion a year. It is estimated that as much as 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. That’s one out of every three bites of food we consume.

Pollinator health is of great importance to the well-being of U.S. agriculture, food security, and the nation’s overall economy. Insect pollination services add more than $34 billion in economic value to U.S. agricultural crops annually and provide diverse diets for humans including fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Honey bees, although not native to the U.S., are responsible for up to $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Native pollinator insects like bumble bees, butterflies, moths, and ants also play a vital role in pollination across the country.

In the U.S., crops such as almonds, apples, blueberries, cherries, alfalfa, tomatoes, and pumpkins need insect or bird pollination to produce food. Pollinators also pollinate other plants and contribute to ecosystem biodiversity, aid plant growth, prevent soil erosion, increase carbon sequestration, and improve water quality.

Threats to pollinators

For the past 25 years, many species of bees and other pollinators have experienced large drops in numbers. Threats to pollinators include habitat loss, disease, and climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change .

With insect pollinators, the larvae of many species have a very narrow range of foods (plants) they can eat—like the monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars) only eats milkweed. The habitats that pollinators need to breed, overwinter, and feed on are shrinking. As native vegetation is replaced by roadways, manicured lawns, and non-native gardens, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites that are necessary for their survival. Remaining patches of prairie and meadow have become more disconnected making it harder for pollinators to reach new breeding sites or their ability to find quality habitat.

Some insects feed only on specific plants; if these blooms die before insects arrive, the insects go hungry and fewer plants get pollinated. Due to impacts from climate change the remaining meadow and flower habitats are blooming earlier as temperatures warm, costing some pollinators the opportunity to feed. Other climate change effects that are reducing food and shelter for pollinators include increased flooding, shorter fire cycles, and the spread of invasive plant species.

Learn more about the threats facing pollinators.

Working with partners to help

Currently, there are more than 70 species of pollinators listed as endangered or threatened with many other pollinator populations declining worldwide. Our partners and us are focused on helping at-risk pollinators, restoring habitat, working with others to meet pollinator needs, and dedicating resources for pollinator science.

  • Service Grant Supports Pollinators Across State and International Borders - Pollinators across Washington and California are benefitting from nearly 400 acres of restored prairies, grasslands, and oak savannah habitats thanks to dedicated conservation partners funded by our State Wildlife Grant Program.
  • Bumble Bee Atlas: A Nationwide Buzz - The Bumble Bee Atlas project has grown has volunteers involved in collecting data on native bumblebees in the Pacific Northwest to a nationwide quest to learn as much as we can about these vital pollinators.
  • Restoring the prairies for wildlife and people - Thanks to funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, we are undertaking a once-in-a-generation conservation project with the aim of making life better across the Midwest. Learn more about how we’re working with our counterparts from state, federal, Tribal and non-governmental organizations through the Prairie Pothole Region Landscape Conservation and Restoration Project.
  • 200 pounds of wildflower and native grass seed planted on 15 acres of public park in Mills River, NC – In Mills River, North Carolina our Partners for Fish and Wildlife program provided technical planning support and funding for a low-maintenance pollinator meadow.
  • Learn more about national efforts we are involved in including the National Seed Strategy, our collaborative work with USDA, the Department of Defense, and ongoing work through our Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program that provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners, managers, tribes, corporations, schools and nonprofits interested in restoring or improving wildlife habitat on their land.
  • Farmers are a vital partner in pollinator conservation - They have incorporated climate smart practices to combat climate change and aid pollinators. Farmers are planting pollinator friendly cover crops, field margins, and buffer crops that benefit pollinators. Some farmers have also begun to integrate other practices such as less frequent tilling and using neem oil-based products (non-synthetic) in their pest management which studies have shown to be more beneficial to the environment.

Ways you can help

There are many actions you can take to help pollinators. Below are a few inspirational examples of what others have done, and what you can do to help: