The Bee's Knees

How does urban densification reshape pollinator life in our cities? Dr. Merin Reji Chacko shares research from Zurich that showed how solitary bees, social bees, hoverflies, and beetles respond differently as green space disappears. You’ll learn why flower‑rich gardens help some pollinators but not others, how specialized plants can maintain pollination even in dense neighborhoods, and why generalist plants struggle despite abundant blooms. Discover what cities, gardeners, and even balcony growers can do to support pollinators, from creating connected habitats to embracing “messier” patches that provide essential nesting and nursery sites. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average—and wild bees are running out of time. When spring arrives early or scorching hot, it triggers a survival crisis. We speak with Dr. Cristina Ganuza to understand what's really happening as springs get hotter. Her findings are eye-opening, revealing which bee communities are most vulnerable, and what we can actually do to help. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

What if we designed gardens with bees in mind—not just flowers, but the right flowers for the specific bee species that need them? In this episode, Jessica Gabler, an ecologist and landscape architect, shares her Target Species Planting concept, which identifies which pollen particular bee species need, then creates stunning perennial gardens that provide exactly that nutrition. As urban habitats shift and climate changes, precise pollinator-plant matching may be our best tool for supporting wild bees. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Soil might not be the first thing you think of when you think about bees—but for most species, it’s home. In this episode, Dr. Marissa Chase shares new research from Minnesota prairies showing that soil sand content, not floral abundance, is the strongest predictor of where bees live. We explore why sand specialists don’t always choose the sandiest sites, what this means for rare and specialized species, and why many restoration projects still struggle to attract the bees they’re designed for. This episode will change the way you think about bee habitat—from the flowers we plant to the ground beneath them. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Wildflower seed mixes are a go‑to strategy for supporting pollinators — but designing one that actually performs is more complex than it looks. Dr. Uta Müller shares her research on how grasses shape floral outcomes, why diverse mixes are more resilient, and how to design cost-effective mixes without sacrificing bloom. Whether you're enhancing a wildflower strip on farmland or restoring a native meadow, this episode reveals the design choices needed to create pollinator habitat that’s both beautiful and durable. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

How do bumblebees decide which flowers to visit? They weigh colors, shapes, and patterns—but not all at once. In this episode, Dr. Anna Stöckl shares surprising research revealing that bumblebees are strategic learners who constantly trade off the cost of learning new information against the payoff of making accurate choices. Discover how these tiny insects switch strategies based on what's easy to learn, and what a psychological phenomenon called "blocking" tells us about their intelligence. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Cities may look sealed and sterile, but Berlin’s sidewalks tell a different story. Dr. Sophie Lokatis reveals how pavement cracks host thriving communities of ground‑nesting bees—and why floral quality, not green space, shapes their success. A surprising look at the hidden biodiversity beneath our feet. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

What if one of the most important numbers in nature has been wrong this whole time? Dr. James Dorey joins us to unpack his team’s groundbreaking global estimate of bee diversity — and why thousands of species may still be missing from the map. We explore surprising hotspots, the bottleneck in documenting biodiversity, and how unnamed species shape conservation, agriculture, and ecosystem resilience. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

A common household mosquito repellent may be silently harming the bees in your garden. Dr. Kimmo Kaakinen shares his study on how volatilized prallethrin—used in household vaporizers and portable mosquito repellers—impairs bumblebees' ability to navigate home. We learn why a 20-minute exposure can reduce homing success from 37% to just 5% and what this means for colony survival. Learn how understanding these threats gives us real power to make a difference for wild bees. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

What happens if the essential work of Europe’s wild pollinators suddenly disappears? Dr. Arndt Feuerbacher joins us to share insights from his study on how wild bees underpin Europe’s agricultural stability and what their decline could mean for food security around the world. We dig into what needs to change, why managed bees can’t fill the gap, and how local actions can add up to real impact. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

This World Bee Day, discover the gentle ground‑nesting bees powering our ecosystems. Dr. Jordan Kueneman explains how the GNBee project uses community science to map their nests and how you can get involved. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

As cities grow, wild bees are finding surprising ways to cope with urban life. In this episode, Dr. Min Tang joins us to explore how a bee’s gut microbiome can reveal what’s really happening in our city environments, from floral diversity to pollution and hidden pathogens. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

How can creativity, collaboration, and ecological know‑how turn even the most unlikely landscapes into thriving habitats for pollinators and people? We visit Indian Lake, New York, where a capped landfill is being transformed into a vibrant pollinator meadow. Kristina Hartzell and Kailey Maher from ADKAction share how this innovative project began, what they’re learning from early test plots, and why native plants are key to restoring biodiversity on disturbed land. We also explore the role of community partners—from local schools to volunteers—in bringing this once‑forgotten space back to life. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

We head to the quiet Mediterranean island of Giannutri, where researchers ran a rare experiment to understand how managed honey bee colonies affect wild bees. By temporarily closing the island’s honey bee hives, they watched nectar and pollen levels rebound almost immediately—giving wild bees the chance to take the lead in the pollination network. Dr. Lorenzo Pasquali shares the story from Giannutri which raises important questions about how we manage honey bees in sensitive landscapes if we want both wild and managed pollinators to thrive. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Small steps can reshape entire landscapes. In this episode, we feature RePollinate, a Scottish charity mobilizing communities and businesses to safeguard the UK’s pollinators. Nick Trull walks us through the charity’s hands‑on projects that breathe new life into underused spaces and help biodiversity flourish. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Think pesticide assessments protect wild bees? Think again. Dr. Sabrina Rondeau uncovers how soil pesticide exposure threatens ground‑nesting bees; risks overlooked by current regulations that focus only on honey bees. Her research reveals why we need stronger frameworks that reflect real‑world conditions to safeguard pollinators and protect biodiversity. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Today’s episode takes us to the Brazilian savanna — for a bit of capybara spotting, but for a surprising discovery along the roadside. Dr. Monize Altomare’s recent study shows that even narrow strips of vegetation beside highways can support rich pollination systems and help major crops like coffee and soybeans thrive. If you’ve ever wondered how small spaces can make a big ecological impact, this one’s for you. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

What does your daily AI query have to do with bees? We explore the hidden connections between digital growth and ecological resilience with Dr. Rob Nicholls. His research found fractional warming from AI‑driven data centers translates into real risks for pollinators—from stingless bee colony collapse to carpenter bee habitat loss. Listen to learn how your digital footprint impacts the natural world. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

Season 4 of The Bee’s Knees buzzes in this February with a new call to action: Bee a Hero. This season dives into the surprising ways native bees connect to our lives—from the hidden impacts of technology and pesticides to the hopeful stories of restoration and resilience. We bring together scientists, conservationists, and everyday advocates to share discoveries that spark change and inspire care. Listen in and discover how small actions can make a big difference for pollinators everywhere. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .

In this episode, we’re exploring a fresh approach to bee research. Gwen Kirschke is combining remote sensing technology with ecological research to map floral resources across large landscapes. Supported by a NASA space grant, Gwen's research aims to predict where bees nest and forage by mapping the flowers they rely on, offering crucial insights into resource distribution and its impact on bee populations. What's on your buzzy mind? Send us a text message and let us know! Thanks for listening! Visit our website to learn more about what we discussed today and subscribe to our newsletter .