PolliNation is a podcast from Oregon State University Extension Service that explores pollinator health. It shares stories from researchers, land managers, and concerned citizens working to protect pollinators. Each episode focuses on practical efforts and bold strides being made to improve pollinator habitats and outcomes.
Episodes
311 - Keeping Bees out of Swimming Pools | PolliNation
Every summer, beekeepers and homeowners face the same frustrating problem: honey bees showing up at swimming pools. In this episode, Tom Webster — Professor of Entomology at Kentucky State University — shares a practical, proven method for diverting bees away from pools and other places they don't belong. What we cover: Why honey bees are attracted to swimming pools in the first place. How bee
310 - Helping Orchard Pollination with Habitat & Aids | PolliNation
Guest Mario Lupino joins host Andony Melathopoulos to discuss his PhD research on wildflower plantings in commercial apple orchards and a multi-year study testing pollinator attractant products. Learn how dedicating just 3–5% of orchard margins to native flowers can support nearly 100 of Washington's 600 native bee species — and whether commercial attractant sprays actually work. Key Topics Co
309 - Get What You Deserve: Why Beekeepers Must Demand More in 2027 | PolliNation
Harry and Andony welcome back Northern California queen producer and almond pollination broker Russell Heitkam of Heitkam's Honey Bees to discuss looming challenges for the 2027 almond season. Heitkam reports high trucking costs driven by diesel prices (especially in California), labor increases, and expensive but necessary mite treatments, arguing beekeepers need to negotiate a per-hive increase
308 - Making Bee Habitat in Vineyards | PolliNation
Join us for a conversation with Shannon Mayhew, Stewardship Director and Biodynamic Estate Gardener at Brooks Wine. Shannon and the Brooks team were honored with the 2025 Oregon Bee Project Bee Steward Excellence Award for their outstanding commitment to pollinator health — from diverse flowering cover crops between vine rows to two acres of gardens designed to provide consistent forage for bee
307 - Are Bees Losing Their Way? How Odor Pollution Disrupts Pollination | PolliNation
Dr. Jordanna Sprayberry, Associate Professor & Director of Undergraduate Biology at Stony Brook University, joins the Pollination podcast to explain how agrochemical odors interfere with bees' ability to find flowers — and why that matters for entire ecosystems. Dr. Sprayberry is a pollination neuroethologist who studies how nervous systems process sensory information and how that processing dri
306 - SloBees (Bumble Bee Surveys in Slovenia with Dr. Danilo Bevk) | PolliNation
Slovenia — a country the size of New Jersey — is home to 575 bee species, more than a quarter of all species known in Europe. It's the birthplace of the Carniolan honeybee, but it's also a hotspot for wild and solitary bees. This week, we sit down with Dr. Danilo Bevk, a researcher at the National Institute of Biology in Ljubljana and founder of the SloBees Society (Čmrljica), to talk about Slov
305 - Inside the USGS/FWS Native Bee Lab: Building Bee Monitoring, ID, and Data Capacity | PolliNation
This week, we catch up with Sam Droege with the US Geological Survey and Clare Maffei with US Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss the origins and evolution of the Bee Lab and its role as a support hub for bee biodiversity work. Sam describes shifting from designing national monitoring programs for birds and other taxa to pollinators, finding bee monitoring statistically difficult due to high ye
304 - Millions of Solitary Bees in a Cemetery: Andrena regularis Aggregations and Parasite Dynamics | PolliNation
Dr. Bryan Danforth of Cornell University joins the podcast to discuss a new Apidology study led by Steven Hodge on emergence dynamics and host–parasite associations in a massive cemetery nesting aggregation of the solitary bee Andrena regularis. Using emergence traps checked daily for 40 days at East Lawn Cemetery near Cornell, the team estimated a mean population size of 5.5 million emerging be
303 - Wonderful World of Wasps | PolliNation
Wasps are an often underappreciated and underdiscussed pollinator group. In today's episode, we will dive into their fascinating world. We'll define what exactly a wasp is, the diversity of wasps around the world, their specialized hunting skills, and far beyond. Sloan Tomlinson is a science communicator, insect photographer, and regulatory contributor to wasp educational programs. Check out That
302 - Forest Log Landings for Bees | PolliNation
Log landings serve as a unique way to provision habitat in otherwise closed-canopy forests, providing refuge for wild bees and wasps. UMass Amherst PhD candidate Aliza Fassler unpacks her research on seeding log landings with native plants, and speaks to the pollinator assemblages that use them. Learn more about Aliza's research in this technical report: https://t.ly/gM2hR Visit the UMass Extens
301 - Mason Bees 101: How to Care for Blue Orchard Bees (and Stop Houdini Flies) | PolliNation
Thyra Mckelvie joins PolliNation to discuss managing blue orchard bees (mason bees). Thyra is the Managing Director and Solitary Bee Educator at Rent Mason Bees. She outlines three essential care steps: start with clean, openable nesting material of proper size, remove nests at the end of spring to protect developing bees from summer predators, and harvest/clean cocoons in fall to control pests
300 - PolliNation RELOADED | PolliNation
As the 300th episode approached Dr. Melathopoulos started to get nervous. He had been doing the show since 2018. When his podcasting hero Melvyn Bragg hung up his podcasting mic last year, Dr. Melathopoulos wondered if he should do the same. But no. Polli-Nation is officially outgrowing its borders! While the show's roots are at OSU Extension, we are thrilled to welcome a new collaborative hostin
299 - Inside Idaho's Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Cocoon Testing Center | PolliNation
In this episode Dr. Melathopoulos speaks with Dr. Armando Falcon-Brindis, assistant professor and extension specialist in entomology at the University of Idaho's Parma Research and Extension Center and director of the Parma Cocoon Testing Center. Dr. Falcon-Brindis explains why alfalfa leafcutter bees are far more effective than honey bees at pollinating alfalfa seed and describes how the lab us
298 - Wibee: A Simple App to Measure Pollination Activity in Your Orchard | PolliNation
Dr. Melathopoulos talks with Dr. Hannah Gaines-Day (University of Wisconsin–Madison) about WiBee (W-I-B-E-E), an app created after conversations with Wisconsin apple growers who wanted to know whether wild bees provide enough pollination or if honeybee rentals are needed. The app has users stand still and record insect visits in a standardized 3x3-foot area for five minutes, tallying easy-to-ide
297 - Pollen Wasps: A Parallel Path to Pollination | PolliNation
In this episode of Pollination, host Dr. Andony Melathopoulos talks with Dr. Elizabeth Murray ( Mt. James Entomological Collection, Washington State University) about pollen wasps (Masarinae) and how they represent a rare, parallel shift to bees from carnivory to provisioning young with pollen. The conversation covers pollen wasp origins around 125 million years ago alongside bees, likely in arid
296 - From Isolation to Innovation: Diversified Beekeeping in Northern BC | PolliNation
Christine McDonald discusses her family-run beekeeping operation based in Terrace, British Columbia. Living in a remote area, Christine emphasizes the importance of in-person gatherings for bee education despite the proliferation of online resources. She explains how her family has turned geographical challenges into strengths, mentioning their diverse range of products, including honey and candl
295 - Commercial Beekeeping Futures | PolliNation
This week, we talk with Ryan Lieuallen of Sweet Bee Honey Company in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Ryan shares insights into the significant challenges and changes within the beekeeping industry, including high winter mortality rates and the potential economic impacts of the Tropi mite infestation. We discuss the emergence of new Varroa treatments and innovative strategies for creating sustainable be
294 - Ghost Bees (and Why They're a Problem) | PolliNation
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Zach Portman discusses a new paper addressing the problem of ghost records in bee data. These records often lack physical specimens, creating challenges for verifying data of bee species. Dr. Portman explains the process and complications behind collecting and verifying bee data, emphasizing the importance of preserving specimens. The conversation also delves i
293 - Pollinator Pathway Bend | PolliNation
Pollinator Pathway is a national organization dedicated to the establishment of native plant communities for pollinators that are managed without pesticides. It got started in the Western US in Bend, Oregon and this week we hear from two board members, Gwen Bartonek and Lisa Sanco, about the many activities the organization has pulled off in Oregon's High Desert city. Pollinator Pathway Bend: http
292 - The Overlooked Hoverfly | PolliNation
Hover flies are everywhere—but most of us don't even notice them. This week on PolliNation, OSU graduate student Nina Miller unpacks the fascinating world of these bee look-alikes, from their diverse life histories to simple ways you can invite them into your garden. OSU Garden Ecology Lab: https://gardenecology.oregonstate.edu/
291 - Vancouver Pollinator Festival | PolliNation
It's festival season! If you're near Portland or Vancouver, WA, you won't want to miss the Vancouver Pollinator Festival happening this Saturday, June 21st at Marshall Park. Our guest, Kyle Roslund, founder of the Vancouver Bee Project, joins us to share what's in store—from garden tours and hands-on activities to a talk by renowned lepidopterist and Xerces Society founder, Dr. Robert Michael Pyle
290 - Wildfires vs. Timber Harvesting: Impact on Bee Communities | PolliNation
This week we delve into the fascinating world of bee communities in disturbed forests with Dr. Graham Frank, a recent PhD graduate from Oregon State University. Dr. Frank shares key insights about how bee communities are influenced by different types of disturbances, and what this means for forest management. Frank, G.S., Rivers, J.W., Verschuyl, J., Best, L.R., Betts, M.G., Kroll, A.J., Swanson
289 - They Make A LOT of Honey in Alberta | PolliNation
In this episode of the Commercial Beekeeping Zone on PolliNation, we hear from Curtis Miedema, a second generation beekeeper from Barhead, Alberta, and President of North America's only beekeeper's commission. Curtis shares insights into stationary beekeeping and how he fits queen production into an operation focused on honey production. He also discusses the collaborative nature of the Alberta b
287 - The Bees of National Wildlife Refuges | PolliNation
We hear from Lincoln Best and August Jackson from Oregon State University this week about an initiative to inventory the bees of National Wildlife Refuges in Region 1 by Master Melittologist volunteers. Link to year 1 report: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/technical_reports/xd07h2826
288 - The Future of Washington State Pollination | PolliNation
The attention to California almonds, means the pollination of Washington State tree fruits is often overlooked. But the massive pollination effort in Washington is a huge effort and may be facing potential problems. Harry and Andony catch up with commercial beekeeper Tim Hiatt to discuss tree fruit pollination, as well as Tim's efforts to advocate for beekeeping in the Washington legislature.
286 - Precision Pollination with BeeHero | PolliNation
This week on PolliNation Itai Kanot and Shelbi Perkins from BeeHero discuss how their in-hive and in-field sensors are improving pollination efficiency by providing real-time data on bee colony strength, benefiting both growers and beekeepers. BeeHero: https://www.beehero.io/
285 - Honey Bee and Native Bee Competition | PolliNation
Dr. Diana Cox-Foster joins us to discuss her and her team's research at the USDA on honeybee and native bee competition. From lab tests to field studies, they uncover the effects of this competition on pollination.
284 - Queen Bee Honey Co Takes Beekeeping Back to School | PolliNation
Queen Bee Honey Company in Alpine, Oregon built up from a Datsun pickup truck to a commercial beekeeping business. In this episode we hear about how Karen Finley built her business and the increasing problem of lack of summer forage for honey bees in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
283 - BEEvent: the Mighty Conference on Pollinators for Gardeners | PolliNation
The BEEvent, hosted annually by the Linn County Master Gardeners, provides gardeners and small farmers with essential knowledge and practical tools to support and protect bee pollinators. This week, Master Gardeners Ranee Webb and Rich Little join us to share what's in store for this year's event. Register for BEEvent: https://www.linnmastergardeners.com/beevent Information on Mason bees and BeeNo
282 - Checklist of the Bees of Washington State | PolliNation
While there has been a lot of attention to the plight of wild bees, we are increasingly discovering that there is a lot more that we don't know. A state checklist of bees is a great starting point for taking stock of what we do know. This week I am joined by Chanda Bartholomew, who is an Entomology Collection Taxonomist with the Pest Program in the Plant Protection Division of Washington State Dep
281 - Rock Gardens with Dancing Oaks Nursery | PolliNation
This week on PolliNation, Fred Weisensee from Dancing Oaks Nursery in Monmouth, OR shares tips on creating a pollinator rock garden using native and exotic plants inspired by Oregon's high-elevation landscapes Dancing Oaks Nursery: https://dancingoaks.com/?srsltid=AfmBOop6NnUpe5hUTS6OTTJ6rIc96DsuGBJ5Ndz3YCq_cjGiagJD2ZFT
280 - Buzzing with Innovation | PolliNation
Karen Pedersen is a fifth generation commercial beekeeper and apiary owner in Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, Canada. Pedersen Apiaries make hundreds of pounds of honey bee colony, while wintering single brood chamber colonies outdoors when temperatures are -30F below. She also leads an impressive stock improvement program. Harry and Andony find how she does it in this week's episode. Pedersen Apiaries
279 - Southern Oregon Buzzway | PolliNation
In this episode we learn about an effort to map pollinator habitat, as well as their stories, in Southern Oregon. The Southern Oregon Buzzway is a collaboration between Southern Oregon University and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley: https://www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/ Southern Oregon Buzzway Map: https://www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/rogue-buzzway
278 - Fabrication For Beekeepers | PolliNation
This week on our Commercial Beekeeping segment, Nick VanCalcar from VanCalcar Apiaries in Amity, Oregon joins us to discuss the importance of doing your own fabrication in beekeeping operations.
277 - New PNW Bee Keys | PolliNation
There are over a thousand species of bees in the Pacific Northwest. However, The resources available for someone to tell the bees apart is lacking for this region. In this episode we hear from the team that is working to solve this problem. Carol Yamada, Lincoln Best, August Jackson, Jim Rivers, Joshua Dunlap & Joe Engler discuss their publication of four new taxonomic keys for the bees of the PNW
276 - Large Colony Losses Looming
Early reports are that there may be a large loss of commercial honey bee colonies across the U.S. this winter. In this episode we are joined by co-host Harry Vanderpool to talk with Russell Heitkam. Russell is a second generation beekeeper and Northern California queen, queen cell, package, and nuc producer. He also brokers about 7,000 hives from Oregon and Washington for almond pollination.
275 - Do Filter Strips Help Bees and Butterflies?
Filter strips surround agricultural fields and reduce soil loss and pesticide effluent reaching streams and rivers. They can also host flowering plants that bees and butterflies like. We talk to Dr. Amy Toth about whether these narrow ribbons of land can actually benefit pollinators. Toth Lab website: https://www.tothlab.org/people Episode 246 on filter strips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MIc
274 - Commercial Beekeeping
This week we kick off our new segment on commercial beekeeping with our new co-host, Harry Vanderpool of Vanderpool Farms in Salem, OR. Harry shares his beekeeping journey and what it takes to run a successful operation.
273 - European Mason Bees in America
Michael Getz, a master's student here at Oregon State University, joins us this week on PolliNation to discuss his new paper on the recent introduction of the European Mason bee (Osmia cornuta) to British Columbia, Canada. Using computer vision technology he was able to identify Mason bee cocoons and model the bee's spread across North America. Learn more about Michael's research here: https://w
272 - The Milwaukee Pollinator Pathway
What does it take to create a certified pollinator pathway? This week on PolliNation, Colleen Rockwell, the Environmental Committee Chair for Milwaukie's Rotary Club, shares how Milwaukie became only the second certified pollinator pathway in Oregon. Learn more about the Pollinator Pathway in Milwaukie here: https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/towns/milwaukie Also, if you are interested in the fun
271 - The MIGHTY Tamalpais Bee Lab
The last record of the Leafcutter Bee (Trachusa gummifera) in Marin County was in 1977. That is, until the One Tam Community Science Program had a documented sighting of it nearly 47 years later. This week we hear from Sara Leon Guerrero, a manager of the One Tam Community Science Program through the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Sara tells us how One Tam is leading the way in bridging e
270 - Mason Bees and the Cold
What happens to Mason bees after a number of consecutive cold days? Let's say a female lays an egg. What happens to it? Does it die? This week on PolliNation we welcome back Dr. Jim Cane and Ron Spendal to discuss their new paper "Eggs of the bee Osmia lignaria endure weeks of prolonged cold weather" https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381743824_Eggs_of_the_bee_Osmia_lignaria_endure_weeks_of
269 - Bees in the Arboretum
This week we explore Minnesota's Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center through the University of Minnesota's Landscape Arboretum. Ping Honzay, an educator and beekeeper at the Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center, discusses the innovative programs that engage the community and highlight the importance of pollinators.
268 - Birds and Flowers
Everyone knows that hummingbirds visit flowers. But have you ever wondered how many other kinds of birds visit flowers and how important are they to the overall pollination ecology of flowering plants? This week we hear from Dr. Jeff Ollerton on his new book "Birds and Flowers: An Intimate 50 Million Year Relationship" https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/birds-and-flowers
266 - Farm to school (and pollinators)
This week we hear about Oregon's Farm to School program and how it helps make the connection between Oregon agriculture and pollinators in the classroom. We are joined by Rick Sherman (Farm to Child Nutrition Program Manager at the Oregon Department of Education) and Michelle Markesteyn (Farm to School Specialist at Oregon State University Extension), who also host a great podcast (available on Y
265 - Oregon Honey and Mead Festival
This week we talk about the upcoming (Sept 21, 2024) Oregon Honey and Mead Festival with organizer Sharon Schmidt (Cascade Girl Organization) and Marla Bull Bear, one of the presenters who is the Director, Lakota Youth Development and Honey Lodge Program. Details on this year's festival can be found at: https://www.cascadegirl.org
264 - Could changes in pesticide hazard to bees be detected across a state?
Bees are exposed to pesticide hazards in a variety of ways. Estimating how hazards to bees are changing over time, across an area as large as a state, is a daunting prospect. This week we hear about an attempt to estimate changes in hazards in a new paper by Dr. Emily Carlson, a recent PhD student from Oregon State University.
263 - National Pollen Phenology Wheel
Beekeepers often have a sense of periods of intense nectar flows, but it is a lot more difficult to assess pollen flows. In this episode we talk with Priya Chakrabarti Basu from Mississippi State University who talks about a new initiative to provide beekeepers with a better sense of the pollen flows of their region.
262 - Buddleja and the bees
Butterfly bush is a hardy shrub that pollinators love. But under certain situations it can become invasive, which has led to laws to limit the sale to sterile varieties and interspecific hybrids. But there is a question of whether the hybrids are really sterile and whether sterility impacts the benefits to bees. We get answers to these questions this week with Cara Stills, from the Ornamental Plan
261 - Making observations on ground nesting bees
While roughly 70% of bee species are ground nesting, we know very little about the nesting biology of anything more than a handful of species. In this episode we hear from Dr. Jordan Kueneman and his project GNBees to generate more data from the public. Dr. Jordan Kueneman is a research scientist and director of Project GNBee, a community science project dedicated to research and conservation of g
260 - Hornet invasion in the UK (and how they are fighting back)
The Yellow-Legged Hornet has landed in the US southeast. The hornet is originally from Asia, but is has spread widely into Europe. This week we hear from Maggie Gill, a senior scientist with the National Bee Unit in the UK tells about the innovative methods developed in the UK to track and erradicate these hornets.
259 - Washington State Update (so much news)
This episode we catch up with Katie Buckley the Pollinator Health Coordinator for Washington State Department of Agriculture. She tells us about two new pollinator bills that passed in the Washington Legislature, as well as the growing Washington Bee Atlas.
258 - Tillamook Apiary and Garden Learning Center (aka there is more to Tillamook than cheese)
This week we hear about a remarkable initiative in Tillamook, Oregon. Known for its world famous dairy, its home to an industrious beekeeping club that is providing top-notch education to the region (and the thousands of people who come through it each summer).
257 - Lotmaria... the bee gut organism you have never heard of
Adult honey bees have a variety of organisms that live in their guts. Some are benign but some, like Nosema ceranae, can be pathogentic. In this episode we hear of Courtney MacInnis' relentless pursuit of understanding the status of an organism you have never heard of - Lotmaria passim - both on its own, and in combination with Nosema ceranae. Her findings are most unexpected.
256 - Backyard Habitat Certification
In this episode we hear from Susie Peterson who is the co-manager of the very popular Backyard Habitat Certification Program in Oregon. The program is managed in partnership with Portland Audubon and can help you better design your backyard for biodiversity.
255 - Stay out! The perils of commercial bumble colonies to wild queens.
Bumble bee queens have been known to try and take over already established nests. Sometimes they manage to take over the nest and increase their own reproductive success. But according to new research from Heather Grab this is not what happens when a wild bumble bee queen tries to take over a commercial bumble bee colony.
254 - Restoring Pollinator Habitat with Greenbelt Land Trust
Land Trusts punch above their weight in creating pollinator habitat. In this episode we talk with Greenbelt Land Trust of some of their innovative methods for restoring pollinator habitat on a working farm.
253 - Bee Friendly Farming in the PNW
Bee Friendly Farming is an initiative to certify agricultural production for taking steps to help bees. This week we hear about the expansion of the program to the Pacific Northwest, specifically with regards to wine grapes.
252 - Maximizing pollination potential in cherries
Bees are just one part of maximizing cherry yield. Before the bees arrive, cherries have to be pruned properly and given the right nutrition. Also, bee attractive cover crops can help rejuvinate the soil before replanting. We hear about all the tricks to maximizing pollination success in cherries from Mike Omeg of Orchard View Cherries.
251 - Surveying for American foulbrood in honey
American foulbrood (AFB) is one of the most damaging diseases of honey bees. Up until now, beekeepers have lacked an early warning system to know whether the disease is rising in their colonies. In this episode we hear from Dr. Sarah Wood about an innovative system for surveying for AFB in honey,
250 - Garden bees of Portland
Have you ever wondered which fuzzy yellow bee you just saw visiting a flower? In this episode, guest host Jen Hayes interviews Nicole Bell about two new and free resources that explore 67 species of bees found in Portland area gardens. Jen and Nicole are both graduate student members of OSU's Garden Ecology Lab.
249 - How to buy a native plant
As nursery catalogs start to show up in our mailboxes and we think about the plants we want to grow next season, it's easy to get overwhelmed. In this episode, guest host Nicole Bell talks with Jen Hayes about two handouts that can help you better understand plant labels and discover if the plant in front of you is a wild-type native plant, a cultivar, or some other plant form! Jen and Nicole are
248 - The art of pollination
This week we hear a facinating conversation between an established mutimedia artist (Jasna Guy) and young artist and melittologist (Marek Stanton) on how art, ecology and the natural world overlap.
247 - Too hot for pollen?
There have been extreme temperatures during the pollination of early season crops. In this episode we explore how these temperatures not only influence the activity of pollinating insects, but also the pollen they are shuttling around.
246 - Prairie Strips
Prairie ecosystems are essential to many pollinator species across North America. Generating prairie after its been lost can be challenging. This week we travel to Iowa to hear from the STRIPS (Science-based Trails of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips) team. They have been perfecting how to get growers to install prairie strips on the edges of their farms.
245 - Bee Friendly Gardening with Elliott Gordon
We continue on our bee friendly gardening kick with a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to hear how one naturalist transformed his front yard into biodiversity hotspot. Using tools like iNaturalist, he has documented over 90 bee species and 1,200 other insects on less than a quarter acre of land.
244 - Bee Friendly Gardening with Lynn Kunstman
This week we continue our September on Bee Friendly Gardening with a southern Oregon Master Gardener who has a passion for native plants.
243 - Bee Friendly Gardening
With the season for pollinator gardening winds down, it is a great time to start planning your garden for next year. In this episode we we learn about a national program to connect gardeners together and provide them with resources to up their pollinator gardener game.
242 - Bee Friendly Wine (King Estate)
The Oregon Bee Friendly Wine Tour is coming to an end for 2023. We hear about what makes King Estate a great place for bees, get some gardening tips and hear about an event hosted along with the Save the Bee Foundation.
241 - Rip out your lawn (and replace it with subalpine meadow)
This week we hear from Dr. Phil Allen who has the audacious idea of reducing water use and increasing benefits to pollinator by replacing lawns with subalpine meadows.
240 - Bumble bee nest relocation and rearing
Bumble bees nest in the darndest places - like bird houses and water meters. In this episode we learn about how to relocate bumble bee colonies. We also figure out how to get bumble bee nests where you want them, by rearing colonies from queens that emerge in the spring.
239 - Oregon Master Beekeeper Field Day
Beekeeping takes a lot of training and mentorship. In many states, the place to learn the finer points of this trade is in state Master Beekeeper programs. We hear about the Oregon program through its annual field day.
238 - National Pollinator Week 2023
It's National Pollinator Week next week. We hear about what makes effective public engagement on pollinators and of a new event in Vancouver, Washington, the Pollinator Festival.
237 - Bee Friendly Wine (Sokol Blosser)
A number of Oregon vineyards are working together to enhance the habitat for bees (which includes over 700 species in Oregon). In this episode we visit one of those vineyards, Sokol Blosser Winery, and learn about how they are working to improve habitat for their bees.
236 - Vanderpool - (Very) wet start to PNW beekeeping
This week we hear about what this cold and wet spring has meant for Pacific Northwest beekeepers (and the crops they pollinate).
235 - Kulhanek - Washington's new Pollinator Health Research and Extension Program!
There are some amazing things happening for pollinators in Washington State these days. This week we hear about the brand new Pollinator Health Research and Extension Program.
234 - Goldstein - Colony strength and blueberry pollination
This week we hear why the strength of the colonies, not just the stocking rate, matters for blueberry pollination and how growers can evaluate strength in the field.
233 - Hill - The Latest Buzz
This week we hear about one of the best kept secrets, a newsletter from USDA that gives a regular update on what is going on in the pollinator world.
232 - Shannon - Do adjuvants influence bee health?
Pesticide applicators frequently add adjuvants to help their pesticide applications be more effective or safer to use. Adjuvants, however, are not assessed for their risk to bees by regulators. We hear about new research that assesses the safety of these products to bees.
231 - Dean - Georgia bee license plate
Oregon is going to be getting a new bee plate. We hear about our inspiration from beekeepers in Georgia.
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