PolliNation Podcast

Pollinator Partnership's Bee Friendly Farming programs encourages and rewards growers for taking steps to improve pollinator health on farms. We hear about some new features of the program and how people can get involved. 

Native bees have secret and mysterious lives. Beyond their visits to flowers, they spend most of their lives beyond our experience. This week we hear from a sound artist whose work places us deep in the lives of our native bees.  

The OSU Pollinator Health Program and Oregon Bee Project have worked together to develop a first of a kind Extension certificate program, the Master Melittologist program. The program is designed for people passionate about native bees and who want to embark on the long term survey of these bees in the state.

Growers and applicators learn about pollinator health from a wide range of sources. In this episode we hear about an initiative by a coalition led by industry groups to reduce pesticide exposure to pollinators.

There is some great information being collected about Oregon bees by non-experts use phone apps like iNaturalist. In this episode we hear about how to produce a solid record and some of the top 10 bees people are finding.   

Do you ever wonder how good the area around you is for pollinators? This week we learn about a new tool that allows you to assess your landscape for flower resources, bee nesting habitat and aggregate pesticide use. 

How do you figure out what bees are in a state, both in the present and historically. You build a checklist! In this episode we learn about how checklists are made from a recent effort in Pennsylvania.

There are a growing number of people interested in native bees, but not many regional organizations you can belong to. Today we hear about an example of building such organizations in the Canadian province of British Columbia.  

The common European honey bee is not the only species of honey bee. The biodiversity of the species Apis is rich in SE Asia. In this episode we get to know each of the species in detail.

Bee gardens involve matching plants that bloom at different times, to bees that emerge at different times. And not all bee species go to all flowers. In this episode we hear about how all these factors come together in Portland gardens. 

Social wasps are in the news these days. They are often confused with bees. This week we take a deep dive into the world of our most fascinating social wasps, the paper wasps.

Shrubs and trees are key to any landscape designed for pollinators. This episode we tap OSU's shrub and tree expert to list the top picks for spring, summer and winter and to learn how to care for them.

Creating pollinator habitat on farms is not as simple as it sounds. To be successful the habitat has to integrate into the cropping system and have low establishment and maintenance costs. In this episode we hear about efforts to strike this balance in Oregon vineyards.

It's been over 10 years since Colony Collapse Disorder beset the beekeeping industry. We catch up with an author who looks back at the advances made over this period with a sense of Beeoptimism. 

We've all heard that mason bees are amazing backyard pollinators, but did you know you can make ground-making discoveries about these bee's biology in your own backyard. This week we talk with a Master Gardener who has turned mason bees into a scientific and public outreach pursuit.

How are wild bees doing? On one hand we hear that they are in trouble and on the other we hear that surveying efforts are too small to detect differences. In this episode we explore issues associated with native bee survey with one of the world's leading native bee taxonomists.

The intense interest in beekeeping has created a new wave of beekeeping businesses. In this episode we hear about how these businesses are meeting the needs of a new generation of beekeepers.   

Southern Oregon has some of the most amazing pollinator species, in large part because of the unique native plant communities. In this episode we learn about the best spring blooming plants for pollinators and how to grow them.

You are probably familiar with familiar spring bees like bumble bees and mason bees. In this episode we take a deep dive into the biology and ecology of these bees, as well as some of the weirder spring bee species. We also look into what you can plant to encourage these bees.

Putting habitat into a working farm involves juggling operational constraints and pollinator biology. In this episode we hear about an innovative example of how PNW cranberry growers are attracting and boosting bee populations around their bogs.  

What is infectious, poorly understand and set to ramp up during the months of April and May? The honey bee disease European foulbrood has been a tremendous problem in Oregon over the last few springs. This week we hear the latest on research and management options for this disease. 

Livestock grazing can be very expansive. Take for instance the 'fescue belt' in the southeastern US, which spans 1,000 miles across. This week we hear from a researcher who is looking to incorporate pollinator plants into pastures, potentially providing benefits to pollinators and increasing the grazing efficiency of cattle at the same time. 

There has been an explosion in people keeping bees for a hobby. But for many, beekeeping is a bigger commitment than they expected. This week we'll help you figure out if beekeeping for you and what's involved in getting started. 

Idaho and Oregon's Treasure Valley have a deep connection to bee management for alfalfa seed, but in this episode we hear about how that tradition is being transferred to pollinator management in vineyards.