PolliNation Podcast

When people think about beekeeping, their minds turn to honey bees. But humans have influenced the course of natural history for other bees as well. This week we hear about a wonderful new book that considers the ways humanity has shaped the fate of bumble bees. 

Sometimes bees will swarm into structures. Getting them out of the structures is not as easy as some on YouTube make it seem. This week we hear about how one bee club has figured out how to easily remove bees from tricky places.

This week we start a new series looking into what integrated pest management (IPM), not as a conceptual framework, but on the ground, where pollinators are scooting around and living their lives. This week we head to a commercial nursery.

PolliNation has reached 200 episodes. It has also been 5 years since the OSU Pollinator Health Lab came into existence. To mark the occasion we go behind the scenes to see how the Lab came together and its plans for the future.

The type of insect pollinators you find within a region can vary depending on broad categories of land use. This week we learn about the potential mechanisms that drive this variation, focusing on bumble bees. 

Monarch butterflies have been experiencing declines in North America. In this week's episode we hear about the significance of monarch butterfly collisions on interstates and an innovative method to reduce this source of butterfly mortality.

This week we head to Vermont to hear about the brand new pollinator health position.

A key principle of state Managed Pollinator Protection plans is to increase communication between beekeepers and pesticide applicators during crop pollination. In this episode, we hear about an initiative to map bee colonies to help applicators find bee colonies in the landscape to help facilitate beekeeper-applicator communication.

Honey bees are not native to North America, but they have been here for hundreds of years. In this episode we dive into the deep history of honey bee importations to North America and learn how molecular technologies can provide insight into the subspecies character of contemporary North American honey bee populations.

It's the 100th anniversary of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association and to celebrate beekeepers are holding a hybrid conference (in person and online). This week we hear about some of the highlights of the conference and what to look forward to.

This week we hear about an ambitious new initiative in California to increase the adoption of pollinator-friendly practices on working lands.

The blueberry industry is one of the most dynamic fruit sectors in the US. As a consequence, what was recommended for pollination a few decades ago may no longer apply. This week we hear about a new initiative to develop a modern pollination planner for US blueberry growers.

There has been an explosion of interest in using native plants for pollinators. Along with this interest there is the question of whether nativars - a natural variant that has been found in the wild and brought into cultivation - are equally beneficial to pollinators. This week we look into an ongoing research project asking this very question.

Bees are key pollinators of sweet cherry. This week we hear about research from Belgium on using other managed bee species to pollinate this crop (other than honey bees), the influence of encouraging pollinator habitat, as well as tips on keeping managed mason bees healthy and happy during cherry pollination.

One of the most influential books about bees has little to do with bees, but rather reflects on the nature of modern society. Bernard Mandeville (1670-1733) wrote and revised his "Fable of the Bees", after publishing a poem in 1705 titled "The Grumbling Hive: or, Knaves Turn'd Honest". The book is considered one the first pieces of modern sociology and was influential for revolutionaries lat

One of the most influential books about bees has little to do with bees, but rather reflects on the nature of modern society. Bernard Mandeville (1670-1733) wrote and revised his "Fable of the Bees", after publishing a poem in 1705 titled "The Grumbling Hive: or, Knaves Turn'd Honest". The book is considered one the first pieces of modern sociology and was influential for revolutionaries later in...

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a range of programs to support the development of pollinator habitat in working lands. In this episode you'll get an overview of NRCS programs, how landowners can access them and how, specifically, they can be used to improve habitat for pollinators.

Pesticide applicators across the US needed to become certified and trained. In this episode we explore where this training requirement came from and how it applies to reducing exposure of pollinators to pesticides. 

Highbush blueberry is the largest pollinated crop in Oregon and one of the top crops in the US as a whole. Beekeepers report that their colonies can sometimes experience difficulties when pollinating this crop. In this episode we hear about how to keep bees healthy in blueberry production systems.

Lowbush blueberry growers in Atlantic Canada have been increasing bee habitat around their fields by encouraging existing plant communities. In this episode we learn how they do this and the incredible bees that pollinate this crop.  

With National Pollinator week next week, we caught up with staff at Pollinator Partnership (P2) to learn about what's happening to celebrate the week, but also to catch up on growing P2 initiatives; Bee Friendly Farming and the Pollinator Stewards program. 

Squash bees were never known to Oregon until a few years ago. This summer Oregonians may see the squash bee Peponapis pruinosa for the first time.  Learn about these bees and how to track them in the state on this episode.

Raspberries are not nearly as difficult to pollinate as self-incompatible tree fruit or blueberries. But getting consistent fruit quality still requires finesse. In this episode we cover the pollination requirements of these berries, some of the bees that visit (and nest) in these crops and how to ensure a consistent level of pollination. 

Your honey bees have expanded many fold this spring. Now is the opportunity to split your colonies in half and get two colonies. In this episode we learn all the tricks associated with reliable and quick spring (and summer) and division of colonies. 

Mason bees in the subgenus Osmia emerged sometime before the ice-age, likely in Europe and Asia, but they radiated into North America early on in their history, resulting in one of the most beloved solitary bees, the blue orchard bee. In this episode, we dive into the evolutionary history of this subgenus.