If you're spending most of your time at home these days, you're probably among the many people who are looking to improve their landscaping, yard, or garden. We've had a great deal of interest from listeners about planting and growing during quarantine.

This hour, we revisit that theme, and we take a particularly close look at building native gardens for pollinators. The experts answer our questions and yours about the role of pollinators, the dos and don’ts of creating a garden that supports them, and we talk about the recent buzz surrounding the Asian giant hornet (that’s the only bee pun for the hour, we promise). Our guests:

Earlier this week, Senator Chuck Schumer expressed his concerns about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to stop collecting data on bee populations in places like Rochester. WXXI reporter Noelle Evans covered this story, and the impact that a lack of research could have on New York’s agriculture and economy. Bee populations have been declining for decades due to climate change, changes in biodiversity, and pesticides.

This hour, we talk about the USDA’s decision, the impact it could have, an update on pesticides, and what can be done to protect bee colonies in our area. In studio:

Noelle E. C. Evans / WXXI News

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to stop collecting data on bee colonies in places like Rochester. 

freeimages.com/Arthur Luczka

Environmental science students at the Rochester Institute of Technology hope their senior project will change the way people think about a plant commonly perceived as a weed.

Their research contributed to the largest evolution study outside of human genomics and included collaborators in 185 cities around the world.

Five RIT students collected hundreds of samples of white clover in dozens of urban, suburban, and rural locations around Rochester. 

We have a conversation about bees. Where have they gone? Why have colonies collapsed? How can you recognize which types of bees are in your backyard and what you should do about them?

Matt Kelly is a writer who specializes in bees. He joins us to discuss.

Connections: Bee Show

May 22, 2014

It's all about bees. A growing number of homeowners is seeking solutions without killing bees. That's in response to the recent colony collapse disorder that has threatened bee populations across the country. So what's the safest way to remove bees? How can you tell what kind of bee is in your neighborhood?  We talk with Walt Nelson, Horticulture Program Leader of Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Pat Bono, owner of Seaway Trail Honey.