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 [...]

Woody Plants for Urban Bee Conservation

Authors Bernadette Mach Department of Entomology, The University of Kentucky Daniel Potter Department of Entomology, The University of Kentucky Overview Various groups have published bee-friendly plant lists, but these lists often lack experimental data and rarely emphasize woody plants (flowering trees and shrubs)—a major component of urban landscapes. Dr. Mach and Dr. Potter set out [...]

Tracking pesticide residues to a plant genus from pollen trapped from honey bees at ornamental plant nurseries

Authors Kimberly A. Stoner The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Richard S. Cowles Valley Laboratory, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Andrea Nurse Climate Change Institute, University of Maine Brain D. Eitzer The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Abstract Worldwide studies have used the technique of pollen trapping, collecting pollen loads from returning honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) [...]

Quantifying bee assemblages and attractiveness of flowering woody landscape plants for urban pollinator conservation

Authors Bernadette M. Mach, University of Kentucky Daniel A. Potter, University of Kentucky Abstract Urban and suburban landscapes can be refuges for biodiversity of bees and other pollinators. Public awareness of declining pollinator populations has increased interest in growing plants that provide floral resources for bees. Various publications and websites list “bee-friendly” plants, but such [...]