Thanksgiving, delicious pumpkin pie and the role of pollinators

It’s the season to give thanks for the bounty of food we place on our Thanksgiving table, and then stuff in our bellies. Pumpkin pie is high on most everyone’s list, which leads me to this: We should give thanks to the busy bees that pollinate pumpkins. 

Bumblebees (multiple species) and squash bees are the two native bees that pollinate pumpkins. Honeybees, which look similar to squash bees,  also pollinate pumpkins. 

Fewer bees, less pumpkin pie

Bees are struggling.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced  that it will start the process of designating critical habitat for the rusty patched bumblebee, which has been on the Endangered Species Act list of protected species since 2017. 

The American bumblebee is a candidate for endangered species protections, as is the Western bumblebee and the Southern Plains bumblebee. 

The point? There are actions we need to take to show our thanks for bees and to ensure a multitude of pumpkin pies in the future. 

You can plant native flowering plants in your yards, gardens and balconies 

Native plants are best, because the local bees and the plants have evolved together over thousands of years. They tend to fit like hand-in-glove. 

Also, buy plants that flower at different times during the spring, summer and fall so that bees can stay happy and busy pollinating. 

Skip the chemicals

Stay away from insecticides and other chemicals. One class of insecticide, called neonics, is quite common, but the names are more difficult to learn than those of the drugs you see on TV ads. 

Finally, plant a pumpkin. It has flowers for bees, and perhaps you can turn it into your Thanksgiving 2025 pumpkin pie. And about those pies, I prefer pecan pie. Pecan trees are pollinated by wind, so I’m also giving thanks to summer breezes.