Can the American Bumblebee Get a Little Help From Man’s Best Friend?

Each month, we get to know one of the state’s many wonderful and quirky critters. Latin name: Bombus pensylvanicusSize: Up to one inch longTexas habitat: Statewide Fat, hairy, and docile, the bumblebee is the teddy bear of the insect world. But don’t underestimate this agile aviator. As with other wild bees, it plays a vital role as a pollinator. However, the bumblebee has something most bees don’t: a secret handshake with the flower. It’s called buzz pollination, and a bumblebee does it by gripping the plant with its legs and vibrating its whole body. “Certain flowers require that kind of handling to fully release their pollen,” says Hannah Gray, an invertebrate biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. “So bumblebees play an outsized role in making sure plants…

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