University of St. Thomas Biology Department Pollinator Path

02/23/2021

A friendly reminder about what we can all do...

Humans can't live without insects

09/23/2020

The turtleneck is still blooming and attracting bees! We used to think that only bumblebees visited these flowers but I also saw honey bees and sweat bees.

09/08/2020

https://xerces.org/blog/us-fish-wildlife-service-fails-to-designate-critical-habitat-for-rusty-patched-bumble-bee

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service decided to not designate critical habitat for the rusty patched bumble bee, despite its previous finding that habitat loss threatens the bee. Failing to designate critical habitat may hinder recovery of the rusty patched bumble bee, which has already been lost from m...

08/24/2020

The ironweed (located in the bed near the Anderson Parking Ramp) is blooming well this year and is a big hit with the bees! Here is a photo of a chap-leg bee on the small flowers.

08/10/2020

08/09/2020

Americans do love their lawns. But when it comes to nature, they are biodiversity deserts. Find out how people are designing an end to the toxic yard and bringing new models to life.

07/23/2020

Second Rusty-Patched sighting - today on Culver's Root at Science Buildings "Long Bed"! Third - no photo, but sighted at Stewardship Garden beds on Monarda.

07/20/2020

Rusty-Patched Bumblebee sighting!

First sighting this summer of the endangered Rusty-Patched Bumblebee! I saw it feeding on the Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon' in the new annual bed by the Stewardship Garden. I've reported it to Bumblebee Watch and await confirmation. Head on down to see the new beds - the Monarda is in peak bee-watching condition and the Mexican Sunflower, sunflowers, Zinnia, and this lovely Ageratum are all covered in hungry pollinators!

05/27/2020

I helped design this graphic with Elaine Evans and Colleen Satyshur (UMN Bee Lab) and Sarah Foltz-Jordan (Xerces Society) recently. I hope it helps clear up confusion about how to provide stem-nesting habitat for bees in your garden. Approximately 30% of native bees nest above ground in cavities in stems and wood. Follow the instructions on this graphic to provide more opportunities for stem-nesting bees such as small carpenter bees (Ceratina) and small mason bees (Hoplitis).

https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/uploads/1/3/9/1/13913231/stemnestingbeesweb.pdf

04/16/2020

https://beeinformed.org/2020/04/10/blue-pollen/?fbclid=IwAR1mYK_JHbd8MGMLWnPrnI4piKRHRbyWs3ZJbKBZRKvz26I3lMa2eS3kuP8