Strong biodiversity is an important factor in maintaining healthy landscapes, wild and agricultural alike. There is a plethora of research that suggests high flowering plant abundance promotes a high pollinator abundance. Some of these studies included biodiversity studies along ecological margins, which are essentially the boundaries between two plant communities. A classic example would […]
Bee the Change: Protecting Native Bees in Readington Township
Science in Action! Who? Tatiana H. Where? Readington, NJ Pollinator? Mason Bees Pollinators are a crucial global ecosystem service and are estimated to provide hundreds of billions of US dollars in foodstuffs annually. The honeybee and humanity have had a complex relationship with each other; with the honeybee being domesticated potentially as early as 7000BC, and European […]
Nesting Habitat for Native Bees in Mercer County, NJ
Science in Action! Who? Chloe C. Where? Mercer County, NJ Pollinator? Native Solitary Bees Chloe C. of Girl Scout Troop 70106 had pollinator conservation in mind when she decided to pursue her Gold Award project. Located at Etra Park in Mercer County, NJ, Chloe’s objective was to create a nesting habitat for native bees, specifically native solitary […]
Urban Bees
“The Rise of the City Bee—How Urbanites Built the 21st-Century Apiculture” When most of us think of beekeeping we imagine a rural landscape; perhaps a sprawling meadow filled with wildflowers and the wooden box beehives peppered within. However, Claire Cameron’s piece entitled The Rise of the City Bee- How Urbanites Built the 21st-Century Apiculture paints […]
Saving Mason Bees in Wyckoff, NJ
Science in Action! Who? Girl Scout Lauren M. Where? Wyckoff, NJ Pollinator? Mason Bees After a family trip to France in 2019 where she discovered that mason bees (genus Osmia) are in trouble globally, Girl Scout Lauren M. was inspired to build mason bee hotels to provide nesting sites to aid local populations in New […]
BeeMachine
Community & Landscape Ecology: BeeMachine v1.0 An important part of bee conservation for gardeners and growers alike is the construction of bee-friendly spaces. A large part of creating a successful pollinator garden is to choose the right plants that will promote visitation. To do this, researchers have to figure out which plants are “attractive” to […]
Bee Neurology and Behavior
Insecticide exposure during brood or early-adult development reduces brain growth and impairs adult learning in bumble bees Social bees such as bumble bees are crucial pollinators whose populations are in decline. One of the reasons for the decline is thought to be exposure to certain pesticides. Commonly used pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, have been shown […]
*Research Published*: More Than Meets the Eye? The Role of Annual Ornamental Plants in Supporting Pollinators
While pollinators are in decline, partly due to lack of plant resources, urban, semi-natural, green landscapes have become important resources for pollinator survival. Erica Erickson, a PhD student at Penn State, asked the question of what role, if any, ornamental plants play in the sustainability of the pollinator community? Pollinator visitations from two sites in […]
Resources for Teachers for Pollinator Ecology
The Northeast Pollinator IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Working Group has put together a new website with resources for outreach and education related to pollinator ecology and plant-pollinator interactions! This includes lesson plans developed by PSU postdocs and grad students in collaboration with the Penn State Center for Science and the Schools, as well as some […]
A screening-level assessment of the pollinator-attractiveness of ornamental nursery stock using a honey bee foraging assay
Authors Douglas B. Sponsler Department of Entemology, Pennsylvania State University Christina M. Grozinger Department of Entemology, Pennsylvania State University Rodney T. Richardson Department of Biology, York University Andrea Nurse Climate Change Institute, The University of Maine Farmington Dalton Brough Pennsylvania State University Harland M. Patch Department of Entemology, Pennsylvania State University Kimberly A. Stoner The [...]