UPDATED: April 22, 2019 at 6:52 p.m.

Since the 1990s, the global bee population has been falling dramatically. In the past 13 years, the U.S. has lost 40% of its commercial honey bees. But the declining population has raised more awareness in central New York, as local revitalization efforts rely on replenishing the state’s native ecosystems. 

Molly Jacobson and Abigail Jago, SUNY-ESF graduate students, focus their research on native pollinators in the state. While their work explores the current state of native pollinators in New York and the efforts that can be done at the state level, both students said there are ways community members can work to better enhance bee population growth. 

Despite public awareness of bee population declines, it has only been recently that more research has been invested into native pollinators, Jacobson said. Unlike the regular European honey bee — that can be cultivated by beekeepers — native bees like bumblebees found in New York are the most at-risk.

Bee populations native to New York include sweat bees and the yellow-banded bumble bees. Courtesy of Molly Jacobson

Bees native to New York include the , sweat bees — which have a metallic green tint — and the yellow-banded bumble bee. Native bees play a larger role in regional ecosystems, Jacobson said, compared to the European honey bee.

Jago said bees are efficient pollinators, as they are strategic on how they pollinate each flower and also rely on nectar from native plants. But their efficiency comes to a fault — if less native plants can be found, it may mean bees specialized in a certain plant have to fly farther away from their nest.

“If we get more native plants, we’ll see more native bees,” Jago said. “It’ll just be a better functioning ecosystem of what central New York should be like.” Both said a stable and diverse ecosystem has cascading effects for birds and small mammals, promoting population growth and diversity.

Jacobson, whose work focuses on native pollinators in restored wetlands, said her research at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex shows promise on how restoring former farmland into its wetland ecosystem helps bring more biodiversity. With the enhancement of conserving native pollinators at the complex, more than 240 species of birds now call the complex home.

This holds true promise in central New York, where wetlands used to be particularly prominent, said Jacobson. A 1990 study done by the National Wetlands Inventory United States Fish and Wildlife Service reported that New York state loss more than 50% of its wetland acreage between the ‘70s and ’80s. Jacobson said with recent restoration efforts, much of the wildlife now seems to be returning.

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Jago’s research involves working with the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey. The survey allows community members to take pictures of native pollinators they see, which she will later use as data. The research will then be used to help inform legislation for future land management policies.

Both Jacobson and Jago expressed that there are plenty of ways people can contribute to conservation efforts. Mowing lawns less frequently helps keep bee nests found on the ground intact. The researchers said planting native plants — like milkweed and goldenrod — in patios and pots is a small but vital way to promote bee life.

Bee hotels, or wooden structures to provide homes for solitary bees, can also be beneficial for Mason bees in the spring and Leafcutter bees during the summer.

Jacobson added the biggest threat to the bee population can be crops grown in monocultures, where only one specific crop is grown throughout the field without any rotation. The purpose of monocultures is to produce the most yields but is ineffective for wildlife. She said adjusting agriculture practices to benefit wildlife can promote better advancements for the future.

“You need to work with the environment instead of trying to control it all the time,” Jacobson said.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the endangered rusty patched bumble bee was stated to be native to New York. This is incorrect. The Daily Orange regrets this error. 

Published on April 21, 2019 at 11:48 pm

Contact Diana: dianar@dailyorange.com