A University of Kentucky (UK) entomology doctoral student, Bernadette Mach, has developed a list of bee-friendly trees and shrubs for the Ohio Valley region. The list can help homeowners find the right plants for their yards to help conserve bees. In the past 10 years, researchers estimate that pollinator populations have declined between 30 and 60 percent, depending on the pollinator. While much of the attention has focused on dwindling honey bee populations due to colony collapse disorder, native bee populations including bumblebees, mason bees, and many other solitary bee species, are also on the decline. Mach started her research project in the summer of 2014. It is the first comprehensive study of its kind.
The project is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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