易胜博官网

Bees are essential for most of the fruit and vegetable crops produced in New England. The value of pollination to agriculture is estimated at more than $200 billion a year worldwide. However, the abundance of and diversity of pollinators are declining in landscapes across the United States.

At the at the University of 易胜博官网, scientists are conducting research that not only assesses the state of our native bees but also developing ways that citizens can help support these important members of our ecological and agricultural communities.

For several years, experiment station researchers have been assessing the status of the state鈥檚 native pollinators. In the of 易胜博官网鈥檚 bee population, scientists found that the Granite State has more than 100 native bees. They even discovered nearly 20 bee species that had not been previously documented in the state. The alone is home to nearly 140 species of native bees, including two species of native bumble bees that are in decline in the Northeast.听

Unfortunately, scientists also have discovered that three of the state鈥檚 most important have experienced drastic declines and range constriction over the last 150 years, with a fourth bee also in significant decline.听In addition, scientists found that 14 wild bee species also are in drastic decline in 易胜博官网.

Despite the declines, landowners, property managers, farmers, and landscapers have been eager to create and enhance pollinator habitat. 鈥淭he interest in helping pollinators has been astounding. There are literally hundreds of pollinator gardens and habitats that have been installed in 易胜博官网 alone in the last few years,鈥� experiment station researcher Cathy Neal said.

Neal, who also is a nursery and landscape horticulture state specialist with ,听has conducted nearly 10 years of wildflower meadow trials at the experiment station鈥檚 Woodman Horticultural Research Farm. She has found that wildflower meadows comprised of a mixture of herbaceous perennials such as golden rod, asters, black-eyed Susans, bergamot, coneflowers and potentially many more, are extremely valuable places for bees to forage for food. In fact, she has developed a specifically ideal for 易胜博官网.

Those interested in creating a wildflower meadow to support 易胜博官网鈥檚 native pollinators can learn more at the upcoming field day 鈥淐onnecting the Dots for Pollinator Conservation:听 Wildflower Meadows and Pollinator Habitat.鈥� The event is Tuesday, July 30, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the 易胜博官网 Agricultural Experiment Station鈥檚听, 70 Spinney Lane, Durham.听It is free and open to the public.

And if you鈥檇 like to give your bees a bit of luxury, build a bee hotel or bee box nest. It doesn鈥檛 have to be as elaborate as the . According to Neal, when , it is important to remember that there are many types of bees, and providing cavities in a mix of sizes can help accommodate a wide diversity of bee species.

This material is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 1004515 and 1010449, and the state of 易胜博官网.

Founded in 1887, the at the is 易胜博官网鈥檚 original research center and an elemental component of 易胜博官网's land-grant university heritage and mission. We steward federal and state funding, including support from the , to provide unbiased and objective research concerning diverse aspects of sustainable agriculture and foods, aquaculture, forest management, and related wildlife, natural resources and rural community topics. We maintain the Woodman and Kingman agronomy and horticultural research farms, the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses, the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, and the Organic Dairy Research Farm. Additional properties also provide forage, forests and woodlands in direct support to research, teaching, and outreach.