News

With the highly anticipated change in season comes all the signs of summer we have been waiting for. The urge to complete spring cleaning, fixing up the garden, opening the windows for the first time in months and the less enjoyable visitors – pests. With more and more knowledge about the importance of reducing chemicals in our home and the role insects play in our ecosystem, it’s easy to feel stuck between using chemical pesticides or living with unwanted pests in your home. The good news is, there are plenty of chemical free ways to prevent bugs from entering your...

If you have a greenhouse, pollination can be a struggle. After all, 1/3 of the food we eat is dependent on pollinators, and without them, you'll be pollinating your greenhouse plants by hand with a paintbrush. So, it's no wonder that many of our bee raisers ask us if they can raise mason and leafcutter bees in greenhouses, high tunnels, and hoop houses. Bumble bees have historically been the bee of choice for many mid to large size greenhouse growers. However, recent research suggests that cavity-nesters such as mason and leafcutter bees can function well in covered environments. But, it's important...

As you may have noticed, much of the country has been experiencing an abnormally long, cool, and wet spring, which has led to a reduction in the number of completed, capped nesting cavities by mason bees. Mason bees are hearty insects that will fly in cooler temperatures and even drizzle. Still, extended periods of temps in the 40s and continuous rain will keep even the most determined mason bees from flying. If that wasn't enough, this year's weather has led to a phenological mismatch. Phenology is the relationship between environmental conditions and biological processes such as bloom timing for flowing...

Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. 1. What genetic sequencing can reveal about the secret lives of bees (pbs.org) Bees are, in many ways, the darlings of the insect world. Not only do they play a crucial role in thriving ecosystems, but they’re also harbingers of the worsening consequences of climate change. To bolster our knowledge of bee biology and behavior, a new effort dubbed the “Beenome100 Project” is building a first-of-its-kind library of dozens of different bee genomes. Researchers can use that information to tackle big...