A city sidewalk can look like the most lifeless place in the world—flat, grey, sealed. But beneath those thin seams of sand between the stones, entire insect neighborhoods are quietly thriving. Berlin’s pavements, it turns out, are home to dozens …
The Bees Beneath Our Feet: Exploring the hidden world of pavement‑nesting bees (Ep. 81) Read more »
How many bee species share this planet with us? For decades, the answer hovered around 20,000 — a number repeated in textbooks, conservation plans, and scientific papers. But new research led by Dr. James Dorey suggests that figure has been …
Have you ever wondered whether those “safe for humans” insect repellents are safe for “good” bugs and other creatures? Bumblebees have a story to tell. A study led by Dr. Kimmo Kaakinen found that volatilized prallethrin—a common ingredient in mosquito …
Backyard Bee Threats: How everyday bug‑repellent vapors can disrupt bumblebees (Ep. 79) Read more »
What would happen if Europe’s wild pollinators collapsed? A new study paints a vivid—and honestly, pretty sobering—picture of what that world could look like, and the effects stretch far beyond bees and blossoms. Dr. Arndt Feuerbacher and his colleagues modeled …
When the Buzz Stops: Europe’s Wild Pollinator Collapse (Ep. 78) Read more »
World Bee Day on May 20 is a highlight on The Bee’s Knees calendar—a moment to celebrate the pollinators who keep our ecosystems and food systems thriving. This year, we’re buzzing in on a group of bees that rarely get …
Finding the Unseen Bees: Take Action This World Bee Day (Ep. 77) Read more »
What if a single wild bee could tell us the story of an entire city? As urban areas grow, they break up natural habitats, change which plants can thrive, and expose wildlife to new pollutants and disease risks. Yet the …
Gut Check for Urban Bees: Hidden pollinator pressures in cities (Ep. 76) Read more »
Today we travel to the gorgeous Adironacks protected region in upper state New York where a once‑forgotten landfill is being transformed into something extraordinary. Thanks to the vision of local nonprofit ADKAction and the dedication of community partners, the capped …
From Landfill to Pollinator Paradise: Rewilding a forgotten space (Ep. 75) Read more »
On the quiet Mediterranean island of Giannutri, a fascinating experiment has offered fresh insight into how managed honey bee colonies interact with wild bee communities. Led by Dr. Lorenzo Pasquali, the research team temporarily paused honey bee activity on the …
A Wild Bee Squeeze: A study in bee conservation (Ep. 74) Read more »
Today we’re leaning into hope and action. Ecologist Nick Trull from the Scottish non‑profit RePollinate joins us to share how their innovative projects not only support bees and wildlife but also spark community learning, creativity, and connection. This episode is …
RePollinate: Hands-on Help for Native Pollinators (Ep. 73) Read more »
Imagine raising your family in a home surrounded by a toxic chemical cocktail. It sounds extreme, but for many ground‑nesting bees, especially those living in agricultural landscapes, this is every day reality. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Rondeau reveals how …