You Asked:
Are honey bees the only insects that can pollinate flowers? If so, what happens if all the honey bees die? — Leigh, Raleigh, NC

Marshall Brain Answered:

Many plants have flowers that require an insect for pollination. And many different insects can do the job. Keep in mind that there were no honeybees in America until Europeans brought them over. So, prior to the 17th century, all the pollination in America was done by indigenous species like bumble bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, etc.

The reason why honeybees are so necessary now is because of farm crops. Honeybees have the advantage that huge colonies (with tens of thousands of bees) can be stored in small boxes and easily moved around as needed. No other pollinating insect has this kind of portability.

This video shows you how portable honey bees are:

What if all the honey bees were to disappear tomorrow? It would create a short-term problem for many fruit and vegetable crops grown in the U.S. However, it would not affect things like corn and wheat, which are wind-pollinated. The likely response would be for farmers to find ways to create habitat for indigenous pollinators.

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