PolliNation Podcast
Episodes
199 - Kayla Perry - What drives bumble bee community composition?
27 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 mec...
198 - James Tracy - Monarch collisions on roadways
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Monarch butterflies have been experiencing declines in North America. In this week's episode we hear about the significance of monarch butterfly colli...
197 - Laura Johnson - Bee Health in Vermont
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we head to Vermont to hear about the brand new pollinator health position.
196 - Bob Walters - Bee Check
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A key principle of state Managed Pollinator Protection plans is to increase communication between beekeepers and pesticide applicators during crop pol...
195 - Maddie Carpenter - What is the North American honey bee?
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
194 - Joe Maresh - Oregon State Beekeepers Association Conference
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's the 100th anniversary of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association and to celebrate beekeepers are holding a hybrid conference (in person and onlin...
193 - Laurie Adams and Josette Lewis - California Pollinator Coalition
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we hear about an ambitious new initiative in California to increase the adoption of pollinator-friendly practices on working lands.
192 - Lisa DeVetter - Blueberry Pollination Planner
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ma...
191 - Jen Hayes - Natives v nativars for pollinators
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
190 - Maxime Eeraerts - Sweet cherry pollination
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 (oth...
189 - Spencer Leonard - Fable of the Bees (Part 2)
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
188 - Spencer Leonard - Fable of the Bees (Part 1)
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
187 - Mace Vaughn - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Pollinators
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Natural Resources Conservation Service has a range of programs to support the development of pollinator habitat in working lands. In this episode you'...
186 - Dean Herzfeld - Where do pesticide applicators get their training?
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pesticide applicators across the US needed to become certified and trained. In this episode we explore where this training requirement came from and h...
185 - Kathleen Law - Keeping Bees Safe During Blueberries
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
184 - Steve Javorek - Bee Habitat in Lowbush Blueberry
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lowbush blueberry growers in Atlantic Canada have been increasing bee habitat around their fields by encouraging existing plant communities. In this e...
183 - Pollinator Partnership - National Pollinator Week (and Beyond)
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
182 - Miranda Jones - The Great Oregon Squash Bee Hunt
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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. L...
181- Jim Cane - Pollination of raspberries and other caneberries
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Raspberries are not nearly as difficult to pollinate as self-incompatible tree fruit or blueberries. But getting consistent fruit quality still requir...
180- Glyn Stephens - Splitting your booming colonies
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 le...
179- Michael Branstetter - The deep history of the mason bees
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 thei...
178- Anna Ashby and Amber Reece - 10 beekeeping questions you were too afraid to ask
18 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Starting to keep bees can be overwhelming. To help you get started we have two Oregon Master Beekeepers answer the 10 most common questions that begin...
177- Olivia Messinger Carril - A field guide to the common bees of North America?
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michael O'Loughlin and his family farm a total of 200 acres in Yamhill County. The O'Loughlin Farms and garden is a private research station tracking ...
176- Fred Weisensee - The pollinator plants you need!
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With people either reving up to start or spruce up their pollinator garden, we sat down with a local nursery owner about some of the plants he most re...
175 - Marie Vicksta and Michael O'Loughlin - Pollinator Habitat on County Roadsides
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we hear how Soil and Water Conservation Districts are working to establish cost-effective and pollinator habitat on County roadsides.
174 -Veronica Wignall - Whacking bees for science: Competitive exclusion between honey bees and bumblebees in the UK
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Honey bees and native social bees are important crop pollinators and key parts of healthy native plant ecology. However, it's very difficult to examin...
173 - Jessica Rendon - Japanese beetle (is no friend of pollinators)
14 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Japanese beetle is a devastating exotic pest. Eradication efforts are underway across the US, including in Oregon. We hear about what is involved with...
172 - Theresa Pitts-Singer - Where next for managed solitary bees
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Managed solitary bees have been a part of crop pollination in the Western US for decades, particularly in alfalfa seed production. But over the last d...
171 - Brittany Goodrich - How pollinator markets work
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Renting a honey bee colony for pollination seems simple enough, but frequently colonies are contracted months before pollination and a lot can go wron...
170 - Halie Cousineau - School gardens and pollinators
21 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gardens are increasingly appearing in schools. In this episode we learn about strategies to use these gardens to introduce pollinators into school cur...
169 - Al Shay - Moving your pollinator garden up a notch
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There is an almost inexhaustible amount of options for pollinator gardens. But this can not only be a cause for invigoration, but also confusion. This...
168 - Carolyn Breece and Ellen Topitzhofer - Late Winter Hive Management
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carolyn Breece and Ellen Topitzhofer support the field research of the OSU Honey Bee Lab. Together they manage the lab's 80 research and educational c...
167 - Linda Hardison - Oregon Flora… reloaded
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There have been two exciting developments with Oregon Flora. The first is vol 2 of the flora, which includes an amazing section on Oregon pollinators....
166 - Alison McAfee - Queens don't like it too hot or cold
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Honey bee queens are durable insects, but new research shows that the sperm they store can become quickly degraded by temperature extremes.
165 - Zach Portman - When pan traps might not pan out (for bee surveys).
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pan traps are one of the key methods for surveying for native bees. They are cheap and easy to use, and they aren't subject to the collector bias of s...
164 - Chris Looney - Hornets and invasive bumble bees in Washington
10 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Washington contended with two invasive insects in 2020. The first is well-known, Asian Giant Hornet, but the second less so, the common eastern bumble...
163 - Ian Tait - 2020 Year in Review
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It was hard to keep track of developments in bee health in 2020 because so much else was going on. In this episode we catch-you-up with a guest who wr...
162 - Katie Buckley - Washington's Pollinator Health Task Force
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Washington State Legislature just received a set of ground-breaking recommendations on pollinator health from the state's Pollinator Health Task F...
161 - Kate LeCroy- Exotic Mason Bees
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stem nesting bees like mason bees are particularly amenable to being introduced to distant lands. In this episode we hear about research looking into ...
160 - Jim Cane - Bees and fire
22 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Devastating wildfires ravaged Western states this summer. In this episode we find out what is known about the effect of forest fires on bees, how bees...
159 - Jamie Ellis - Turning the corner with varroa?
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
US beekeepers have been struggling to manage varroa mites for over 30 years. Our guest discusses why a solution to varroa has been so elusive and what...
158 - Kara Maddox - Pollinators for the Masses
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we learn about an initiative in Texas that engages thousands of families in education around pollinators, headed by the National Pesti...
157 - Katie Arstingstall - Bees collect pollen from more plants than you think
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have a very dim picture of the flowers bees collect pollen from. In this episode we hear about how lab techniques can be combined with field record...
156 - Shelley Hoover - Preparing hives for winter
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The highest period of honey bee colony mortality is during the winter. But there are a number of tricks to ensure high colony survival. In this episod...
155 - Brian Speisman - Bee Machine
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Identifying bees is notoriously difficult and often is an obstacle to beginners interested in contributing to native bee surveys. In this episode we l...
Episode 154 - Josh Vlach - Invasive pests and pollinators
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have all heard about Asian Giant Hornet, but what are some of the other invasive pests that threaten pollinators? We hear about species of concern ...
153 - Miles Dakin - Bee Friendly Farming
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pollinator Partnership's Bee Friendly Farming programs encourages and rewards growers for taking steps to improve pollinator health on farms. We hear ...
152 - August Jackson - The Steens Mountains
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
151 - Sarah Peebles - Resonating Bodies
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
150 - Master Melittologists
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The OSU Pollinator Health Program and Oregon Bee Project have worked together to develop a first of a kind Extension certificate program, the Master M...
149 - Caydee Savinelli - BeSure
16 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
148 - John Ascher - 10 Oregon Bees
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
147 - Christina Groziner - BeeScape
02 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 f...
146 - Shelby Kilpatrick - Checklist of Pennsylvania Bees
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 checkl...
145 - Native Bee Society of British Columbia - Connecting bee enthusiasts together
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
144 - Mike Burgett - The "other" honey bees
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
143 - Hailey Wallace - What makes a bee garden tick?
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
142 Megan Asche - Social Wasps
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 socia...
141 - Neil Bell - The best pollinator shrubs and trees
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
140 Rebecca Sweet - Pollinator cover crops in vineyards
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 lo...
139 Jay Evans - Beeoptimism: Reflections on the advances in bee research
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
138 Ron Spendal - The secret lives of mason bees
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
137 John Ascher - The problem with measuring bee decline
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 differen...
136 Mandy Shaw - Bee Entrepreneurship
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
135 Suzie Savoie - Spring native pollinator plants
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Southern Oregon has some of the most amazing pollinator species, in large part because of the unique native plant communities. In this episode we lear...
134 Jim Cane - Spring Bees
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
133 Kim Patten - Pollinator habitat on working farms
18 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Putting habitat into a working farm involves juggling operational constraints and pollinator biology. In this episode we hear about an innovative exam...
132 - Meghan Milbrath - European Foulbrood
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 treme...
131 - Megan O'Rourke - Pasture for beef... and bees?
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
130 - Carolyn Breece - Should you keep bees?
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 he...
129 - Ron Bitner - Vineyards for Pollinators
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
128 – Serkan Ates – Livestock forage plants and bees
16 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the best plants for long-tongued bees like bumble bees and honey bees are grown for livestock. We dive deep into these livestock plants and di...
127 – Kirsten Traynor – 2 Million Blossoms
08 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is nothing about browsing though a magazine. There are some great beekeeping magazines, but what's missing is a magazine devoted to pollinators ...
126 – Casey Hale – Bees that are parasites on other bees
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of a bee you probably think of an insect hard at work growing its nest and pollinating plants. But over 10% of bees are kleptoparasites...
125 – Lila Westreich – The Secret Life of Mason Bees
20 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us put mason bees out in our backyard or farm. But when they leave the nest, do you know where they are going to forage? In this episode we he...
124 – Lauren Ponisio – Pollinator Hedgerows
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hedgerows can be great ways to attract pollinators in agriculture and forestry settings. But how can such relatively small plantings impact pollinator...
123 – Megan Swanson – Bees in the Classroom
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Literacy on pollinator biology and ecology in the US is poor. But schools can be skittish about insects, especially bees, and teachers lack resources ...
122 – The End of 2019 Show
22 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What happened in 2019 when it came to Apiculture? We visit the Apiculture unit at Agriculture and Forestry Alberta in Lethbridge to find out. Hear abo...
121 – Weston Miller – Solving Pest Problems
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
People living in cities are confronted by a range of pest problems, some of which impact pollinator health. This week we hear about an initiative to m...
120 – Claire Kremen and Corin Pease – New to the PNW
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Pacific Northwest got not just one, but two great pollinator positions in 2019. Claire Kremen has moved her lab from Berkeley to the University of...
119 – MR Pollination – Alfalfa leafcutter bees
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alfalfa leafcutting bees don't get the attention of honey bees, but they are also a remarkable example of how people have learned to manage a bee spec...
118 - Rich Hatfield - Queen Quest
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Oregon's bumble bees are all hibernating. Mated bumble bee queen are known to winter in loose soil or leaf litter, but we don't know much more than th...
117 - Gregory Lynch - Miel Montréal Co-op
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ever heard the term "native beekeeper" before? Me neither, until I talked with Gregory Lynch from the Miel Montréal Co-op. In this episode he explain...
116 - Highlights from Apimondia 2019
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we take a stroll through the tradeshow at the world's largest beekeeping conference, Apimondia, which was held in Montreal, Canada in ...
115 - Robert Marshall - Roadside pollinator habitat
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Roads crisis-cross the state of Oregon, making roadsides an appealing focus for creating an interconnected network of pollinator habitat. But roadside...
114 - John Jacob - Solar panels and pollinator habitat
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot of ground under solar panels that could be planted to pollinator habitat. In this episode guest host Maggie Graham talks with John Jaco...
113 - Kass Urban-Mead - Bees in trees?
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How important are trees to the health of bees? In many cases we don't know because trees are a lot bigger than us. That doesn't stop our next guest fr...
112 - Bob Curtis - Improving bee health during pollination
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Pollinating crops can be difficult on honey bees. Since 2014, the California Almond Board has been working with beekeepers, pest control advisors and ...
111 - August Jackson - Bees of the Willamette Valley
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Learning the bees of your local area can be a daunting task. Most guides and keys, for example, include bees that don't even exist where you live, and...
110 - International Pollinator Conference Highlights (2019)
02 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Fourth International Pollinator Conference was held in Davis, CA. In this episode you will hear about some of the interesting new research happeni...
109 - Shelley Hoover - Its all in the queen
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Honey bee queen quality is an often overlooked dimension of colony health. In this episode we catch up with Dr. Shelley Hoover who is the Apiculture R...
108 - Rosalyn Johnson - Bio-diverse and drought-tolerant gardens
18 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk with Dr. Rosalyn Johnson from Yardbio.com about how to establish local, native, and drought-tolerant species in backyards to s...
107 - Bryan Danforth - The Solitary Bees
12 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Although solitary bees make up the bulk of bee diversity, there hasn't been a comprehensive biology book about them. That is until now. This week we c...
106 - Jim Cane - Squash and Sunflower Bees
04 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Squash bees were discovered in Oregon last year. This week we talk to Dr. Jim Cane about this bee, as well as a bee that is widespread in Oregon garde...
105 - Tyson Wepprich - Insect Apocalypse?
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There has been a lot of attention lately to historic declines of insect abundance across the world. This week we catch up with Tyson Wepprich who rec...
104 - Bonnie Shoffner - The finer points of pollinator outreach
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Public outreach may seem simple, but impactful and effective outreach is an art. Bonnie Shoffner from Portland Metro is a real pro at pulling off poll...
103 - Rachel Mallinger - Bees in blueberries, forests and gardens (in Florida)
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Oregon and Florida may seem miles apart, but the role of bees in both states has remarkable parallels. This week Dr. Rachel Mallinger University of ...
102 - Jacob Pecenka - Watermelons, pests and pollination
01 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Watermelons are hard to pollinate. But they can also experience reduced yield from pest damage. This week we hear from Jacob Pecenka who tells us abo...
101 - Sharon Selvaggio - Labeling Pollinator Plants
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There has been a lot of demand for nursery plants that are good for pollinators, but also confusion on whether these plants have been grown using prac...
100 - THE Everything-You-wanted-to-know-about-pollinators-but-were-afraid- to-ask SHOW
10 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For the 100th Episode of PolliNation we assembled our crack team of OSU pollinator faculty together to answer your burning questions.