TPW TV BEE SEARCHER: Studying native Texas bees [06 
“…bees that are native.”] … details ahead on Passport to Texas. 

This is Passport to Texas

Jessica Beckham is on a quest to catch some fuzzy flying 
Insects.

07— Today we are out here surveying bumblebees in a little 
roadside area of Denton County.

She’s been studying bumblebees at the University of 
North Texas while pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental 
science. Next week, the TPW TV series on PBS follows her 
efforts in a segment called The Bee Searcher. 

15— Here in Texas, we have sweat bees, digger bees, leaf cutter 
bees, resin bees. About 700 to 800 species of bees that are 
native bees. Including nine species of bumblebees.

We know about honeybees and colony collapse disorder, 
but Jessica Beckham wants to know more about the plight 
of native bumblebees.

10—I’m studying native pollinators, bumblebees in particular, 
because native pollinators may serve as an insurance policy 
against these losses of honeybees.

Insect pollinators, including bumblebees are responsible 
for about 80 percent of the pollination of wild flowering 
plants and about 75 percent of our agricultural plants.

11—Bumblebees are great pollinators, because the bees 
deliberately collect pollen and they have a lot more hair than 
honeybees, and they move a lot of pollen from flower to flower.

View the TPW TV segment The Bee Searcher next week on 
PBS. Check your local listings.

The Wildlife restoration program supports our series. 

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti. 



Total sound bite time:		                 0:43.0
Maximum Script time:		                 0:42.0                     Suggested show time: 85.0 = 1:25