The Bee's Knees
Bees are intelligent, compassionate creatures responsible for 90% of the world’s food. They contribute to sustainable farming, biodiversity, environmental protection, and more. Listen in to learn about the wonderful world of native bees and how you can nurture the literal busy bees of Mother Nature.
Episodes
60 episodes
Toxic Nectar: How Pollinators are Exposed to Metals in Urban Landscapes
Delve into the critical issue of toxic metals in urban nectar with Dr. Sarah Scott. The conversation reveals how contaminated pollen and nectar pose significant risks to bees, affecting their health and productivity. Dr. Scott shares insights f...
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Season 3
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Episode 59
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12:21
Birds, Bees, and Big Data: Rethinking Conservation
Native bees are essential for biodiversity but face significant threats. In this episode, Dr. Josée Rousseau discusses her research, which uses bird data to predict wild bee richness. Learn about the data sources used, why birds are excellent i...
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Season 3
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Episode 58
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15:12
Unearthing Habitats: Transforming Sand Mines into Bee Havens
Are sand mines hidden gems for bee conservation? Dr. Nicola Seitz shares the surprising role of reclaimed sand mines as vital habitats for wild bee populations. Despite their industrial origins, these landscapes host a diverse array of bee spec...
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Season 3
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Episode 57
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14:23
The Quarry Connection: Linking Habitat Restoration and Bee Biodiversity
Discover how abandoned quarries can become thriving bee habitats! Dr. Felix Kirsch unveils the surprising role these landscapes play in bee conservation. By fostering natural habitats within these sites and ensuring strategic connectivity with ...
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Season 3
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Episode 56
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13:47
Bees, Biodiversity, and the Future of Food
Uncover the hidden heroes of pollination—wild and native bees—and their crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance and food security. Dr. Natalie Lemanski shares fascinating research on seasonal shifts in bee communities and their impact on ...
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Season 3
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Episode 54
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16:26
Honoring Bees and Biodiversity
In this episode of The Bee’s Knees, we’re buzzing about two global celebrations: World Bee Day and the International Day for Biodiversity. Discover the vital role of wild and native bees in preserving ecosystems, maintaining biodiversity, and s...
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Season 3
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Episode 55
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4:04
The Secrets of Bee Foraging: How Flower Choices Affect Bee Behavior and Biodiversity
We’re exploring the fascinating world of flower foraging by bees with Dr. Jaya Mokkapati. How do different bee species decide between the quantity of flowers and the nutritional quality of pollen? What drives these choices, and what can they te...
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Season 3
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Episode 53
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8:42
The Fungi Factor: The Surprising Discovery of Mold's Impact on Leafcutter Bees
Dive into the world of solitary leafcutter bees and discover how a seemingly undesirable mold could actually be their unlikely ally. Dr. Victoria Luizzi shares their fascinating research on Aspergillus mold, which might offer protective benefit...
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Season 3
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Episode 52
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15:13
Pollinators in Peril: How Habitat Loss, Pesticides, and Climate Change Are Threatening Our Ecosystem
In today's complex ecosystem, native bees play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity through their vital pollination efforts. However, their populations are under threat from various stressors such as climate change, habitat loss, and pes...
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Season 3
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Episode 51
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18:22
Building Buzz: Community Efforts to Support Native Bees
In this inspiring episode, we're joined by Caroline Wagar from Environment America to explore simple, impactful steps each of us can take to support native bees. From creating vibrant urban gardens to pioneering legislative efforts, discover ho...
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Season 3
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Episode 50
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13:59
Guardians of the Stingless Bees: Exploring the Mission to Sustain Melipona Bee Populations
In this episode of The Bee's Knees, we take a virtual journey to Mexico to explore the world of the melipona, a stingless honey bee essential for pollinating the Yucatan rainforest. Join us as Rebecca Robertson, founding director of the Mayan M...
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Season 3
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Episode 49
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14:27
Pollinators and the Art of Choice: Navigating the Chemistry of Floral Rewards
Ever wondered how bees choose their favorite flowers? Today we’re talking with Dr. Claire Hemingway who reveals fascinating insights into pollinator cognition and how bees' decisions impact biodiversity.
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Season 3
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Episode 48
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8:08
From Bloom to Boom: How PollinAction is Reviving Pollinator Populations
What can be done about the alarming decline in pollinator populations? Today, we’re talking about the PollinAction Project’s impactful initiatives with researcher Leonardo Lorenzato. Discover how creating green infrastructures, promoting econom...
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Season 3
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Episode 47
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21:24
Season 3: Bee Enthusiasts
Welcome to Season 3 of The Bee’s Knees! We’ll be talking to bee enthusiasts from around the globe, learning about the latest research and everyday opportunities to support and protect our native bees. Tune in for inspiring stories and actionabl...
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Season 3
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Episode 46
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1:49
Scent of Survival: How do Heatwaves Impact Bumblebees?
Today’s conversation explores how extreme temperatures disrupt the chemical communication between plants and bumblebees, specifically their ability to detect floral scents. Dr. Sabine Nooten explains her study findings on the impact of heat on ...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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8:48
Urban Buzz: Transforming Pollination in Cityscapes
In our bustling urban environments, the complex dance of pollination continues, often unnoticed. This week's discussion dives into the intricacies of urban pollination ecology with Dr. Elsa Youngstead, exploring how plants and pollinators inter...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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16:41
Bridging the Bumblebee 'Hungry Gap': Innovative Strategies for Pollinator Planting
Imagine sleeping for a couple of months, waking up and realizing you’ve got to build a house, get a job, raise some kids, and feed them. Bumblebee queens go through this every spring and it’s really a critical time for their survival. Today, we...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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9:49
Winter Warriors: How to Help Overwintering Bees
How do native bees survive winter's chill? Discover how you can keep them warm and cozy this winter through simple actions like leaving autumn leaves undisturbed and holding off on your garden cleanup. We’ll also share the importance of perhaps...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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2:52
From Fields to Food: The Hidden Impact of Agricultural Intensification
In this episode of The Bee's Knees, we discuss the threats facing wild and native bees with Dr. Yi Zhou, an ecologist and entomologist. The discussion focuses on a study in South China's rice fields that revealed habitat loss as a more signific...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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8:36
Highs and Lows: How Elevation and Temperature Impact Bee Survival
In this episode, we dive into Dr. Lindsie McCabe's enlightening study on how changing temperatures impact the survival rates of cavity-nesting bees. Conducting a transplant experiment over three years, Dr. McCabe and her team uncovered how elev...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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14:58
Buzzing into Innovation: A Conversation with BeeMachine's Creator
In this episode of The Bee's Knees, we blend technology, science, and the natural world. Join us as we explore an innovative tool revolutionizing bee conservation – BeeMachine. This cutting-edge app utilizes artificial intelligence to help iden...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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14:28
Free Spirits: Investigating Free-Living Nordic Honey Bee Colonies
Let’s explore the world of the Nordic honeybee, or Apis mellifera mellifera, a subspecies that once flourished across Southern Scandinavia, Central, and Western Europe. Today, in Sweden, a mere 1,000 of the 160,000 hives still house these nativ...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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14:43
Buzzkill: Climate Change and the Looming Threat to Pollinators
We’re exploring the challenges faced by native bees due to rising temperatures and drier conditions. Dr. Melanie Kazenel discusses her research using a 16-year dataset from New Mexico's drylands, revealing that while some bee species show resil...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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21:41
Floral Foes: How Non-Native Bees Impact Native Ecosystems
What are the indirect effects of honey bee introductions on native bee populations and plant pollination patterns? Dr. Maureen Page joins us to share the unique roles that native bees play in our ecosystems, highlighting their differences from ...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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14:32
From Bees to Biodiversity: Shaping the Future of Ecosystem Services
How important are rare and declining bee species for pollinating various wildflowers and crops? We’re talking about that in this episode with Dr. Mark Genung who introduces us to ecosystem function theory and the broader implications for biodiv...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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14:06