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The continuous blooming of native plants to provide pollen and nectar - check! Mud-rich clay source and deciduous leaves nearby for building nests - check! Bee-safe nesting materials - check! Bee hotel installed - check! If you build it, they will come, right? Well, not necessarily. "Why aren't my bees nesting?" is one of the most common questions we receive from our bee raisers. We understand how frustrating it can be to take the time to create safe nesting habitats for solitary bees only to have them struggle to reproduce or to fly off in search of more desirable nesting...

Title Graphic Credit Alex Taylor, Everyday Conversation  Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. This month, we've decided to do something a little different and highlight five short educational videos to help you learn more about the importance of bees as pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. All videos are available to watch for free on YouTube. Enjoy and Happy Learning! 1. Center for Biological Diversity - Native Bee Diversity in North America View this beautiful slideshow of some of North America's Native Bees. (Running Time...

Lately, we've had many of our bee raisers ask us about the causes of global bee declines and what they can do to help prevent further declines. First of all, thank you! Thank you for taking notice and action on this critical issue! While the decline of European honey bees worldwide has been well documented, the more than 20,000 species of native bees and other insects have been largely ignored. Recently, researchers have focused their efforts on finding evidence of declines and highlighting the major causes and solutions for these declines. Perhaps equally important, you have begun to take notice and...

Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. 1. Common pesticide, Imidacloprid, found to be highly toxic to bees New research funded by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and conducted at the University of Georgia shows that Imidacloprid, a common pesticide applied directly to the soil, has lethal and non-lethal effects on bee populations. This study represents the first attempt to explore soil-based exposure in wild solitary bees. The majority of wild bees either nest in the soil or use it as a material to build their...