PolliNation Podcast

Andony Melathopoulos
  • 4.8 (155)
  • Natural Sciences

PolliNation is a podcast from Oregon State University Extension Service that tells the stories of researchers, land managers and concerned citizens who are making bold strides to improve the health of pollinators.

  1. 1d ago

    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 drives foraging behavior. In this conversation, she breaks down her lab's groundbreaking "odor geometry" system for measuring olfactory pollution thresholds, shares findings from wind tunnel experiments on how bees search at different distances, and makes the case for replacing lawns with native plants — even before the science is fully settled. KEY FINDINGS DISCUSSED: Fungicide odor alone (without ingestion) changes bee foraging behavior Bees searching far from a flower patch weight color and odor equally; bees searching nearby rely primarily on color Beyond 30° of odor "distance" (measured via Euclidean odor geometry), bees no longer recognize floral scents as food Odor pollution may be most impactful for bees searching for new flower patches, not those foraging in established meadows Bumblebee colonies that fall below a resource threshold cannot produce queens, potentially crashing local populations Atmospheric pollutants (ozone, nitrous oxides) degrade floral odor blends as they travel, reducing perceptual range LINKS: Dr. Sprayberry's Lab (SPRAY Lab): https://sites.google.com/stonybrook.edu/spraylab/home Stony Brook University Department of Biology: https://www.stonybrook.edu/biology

  2. Oct 5

    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 Slovenia's remarkable pollinator diversity, a citizen science project tracking bumblebee queens across the country, and a new Europe-wide monitoring scheme about to transform how we track these crucial insects.  Links: Dr. Danilo Bevk — National Institute of Biology: https://www.nib.si/en SloBees Society (Čmrljica) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cmrljica Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrljica_slobees/

  3. Jul 13

    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 year-to-year variance and identification bottlenecks, and pivoting to developing sampling techniques, the Very Handy Bee Manual, Discover Life online ID guides, photography resources, and a large specimen database with substantial backlog. Claire outlines her path through a US Fish and Wildlife Service pollinator fellowship into a refuge-support role, producing updated bee inventory/monitoring frameworks and protocols, data management, and publishing over 500,000 records to GBIF. Together they emphasize collaboration with students, refuges, parks, and researchers, training via weekly livestreamed bee ID videos, and ongoing method development (e.g., emergence trapping, brine in traps, hanging shrub traps) while noting funding uncertainty and focusing on practical conservation through plant–bee relationships and better baseline data. Bee Lab website:  https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eesc/science/usgs-bee-lab-eastern-ecological-science-center

  4. Jul 6

    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 bees within a compact area and documented synchronized host emergence with more gradual, delayed emergence by Nomada cuckoo bees, plus low-frequency associates including a meloid beetle and a conopid fly. Danforth explains A. regularis biology and its exceptional importance and effectiveness as an apple pollinator, highlights evidence for greater female investment as a potential sign of abundant resources, and argues cemeteries and other nest sites may be overlooked conservation assets, supported by Cornell's Ground-Nesting Bees iNaturalist initiative. Danforth Lab: https://www.danforthlab.entomology.cornell.edu GNBees: https://www.gnbee.org Hoge, S.T., Kueneman, J.G., Fordyce, R., Dobler, C., Odanaka, K. and Danforth, B.N., 2026. Emergence dynamics and host-parasite associations in a large aggregation of Andrena regularis (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Andrenidae). Apidologie, 57(2), p.29. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-026-01256-6?cjdata=MXxZfDB8WXww&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_BOOKS_ECOM_GL_PBOK_06YUE_GL_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100052570&CJEVENT=684ba1913cbf11f182b202450a18b8fc 00:00 Bee Numbers In Perspective 00:53 Solitary Bee Megasites 01:14 Meet Dr Brian Danforth 05:13 Cemetery Nesting Twist 06:14 Bee Biology And Pollination 08:54 Why Cemeteries Work 12:27 Biodiversity And History 14:00 Emergence Traps Method 16:34 Parasites And Phenology 21:07 Sex Ratios And Health 24:04 Millions Of Bees Estimated 26:44 Conservation and iNaturalist  28:38 Can We Build Bee Beds

  5. Jun 30

    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 Wasp Guy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatwaspguy/ Visit the UMass Extension pollinator resources page: ag.umass.edu/pollinators

  6. May 11

    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 Extension pollinator resources page: ag.umass.edu/pollinators

  7. May 4

    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 and disease. In addition, Thyra covers the key pests of mason bees include pollen mites, Houdini flies, chalkbrood fungus, and monodontomerus wasps, plus sterilization methods. Rent Mason Bees website: https://rentmasonbees.com Rent Mason Bees YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RentMasonBees Houdini Fly Hunt - report if you have Houdini Flies: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwkcEVe6CfNoaoTDcSlXmIpX0HYUTmhOsZJihPvn8rCXNn8A/viewform?pli=1 00:00 Welcome to Mason Bee Season 01:01 What Are Blue Orchard Bees 02:39 Gentle Bees for Schools 04:06 Bee Hotels Need Maintenance 05:42 Avoid Bamboo and Log Hotels 07:01 Three Steps to Protect Cocoons 11:49 Predators and Parasites Explained 12:05 Inside a Nesting Chamber 13:09 Pollen Mites and Houdini Fly 16:02 Chalkbrood and Monodontomerus Wasps 18:33 Cleaning and Sterilizing Trays 19:56 Sterilize Nesting Trays 20:20 Spot Houdini Fly Signs 20:41 Cardboard Liner Hack 21:22 Spring Cleanup Routine 21:56 Vacuuming and Tanglefoot 22:43 Join Houdini Fly Research 24:11 Bee Emergence Timeline 25:13 Remove and Store Blocks 26:16 Summer Storage Tips 27:55 Fall Harvest and Washing 29:54 Dispose Pests Safely 30:27 Releasing From Old Materials 32:48 Rent Mason Bees Explained 34:52 Wrap Up and Thanks

  8. Apr 27

    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 hosting team. By bringing in the expertise of Nicole Bell (East Coast/UMass), and Drs. Brandon Hopkins and Priya Chakrabarti Basu (WSU), we are expanding our coverage from the wild bee meadows of New England to the high-tech honey bee storage facilities of the Pacific Northwest. Hear the different hosts visions for the future of pollination in this episode.  Nicole Bell – UMass Amherst Extension: https://www.umass.edu/bee-campus/about/directory/nicole-bell The Pollinator Steward Certification: https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/resources/pollinators/pollinator-steward-certification-program Dr. Brandon Hopkins – Washington State University Lab Page: https://bees.wsu.edu/about-hopkins-lab/ Dr. Priya Chakrabarti (Basu) – Washington State University Research Website: https://priyadarshinichakrabarti.com Harry Vanderpool – Hear our episode with Harry: https://youtu.be/CSiDXLmgxjU?si=D796BGDFkSUMMT59 00:00 Nicole Bell - episode highlight 00:25 Podcast Origins and Growth 01:45 Episode 300 New Era 03:09 Meet Nicole Bell 06:04 Meet Brandon Hopkins 08:48 Meet Priya Chakrabarti  10:49 Harry Vanderpool Updates 14:30 Co-Hosts Vision Ahead

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4.8
out of 5
155 Ratings

About

PolliNation is a podcast from Oregon State University Extension Service that tells the stories of researchers, land managers and concerned citizens who are making bold strides to improve the health of pollinators.

Information

  • Creator
    Andony Melathopoulos
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    307
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    PolliNation Podcast

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