JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - There's an extra buzz in the air this week.
Missouri is officially in the midst of Pollinator Week, which recognizes the bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles that help flowers and food crops flourish.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture says there are more than 400 species of bees in Missouri. That's about one-tenth of the different types of bees found in North America.
The department says about three-quarters of all flowering plants rely on bees or other pollinators to reproduce.
Gov. Jay Nixon proclaimed June 17-23 as Pollinator Week in Missouri to coincide with a similar national effort.