PolliNation Podcast
262 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 128 ratingsPolliNation 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.
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Episodes
61 Dale Mitchell - Oregon’s pesticide incidence reporting system
July 23, 2018 06:30 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBListen in to this episode to learn how the Department of Agriculture handles suspected pesticide-related bee incidents, and what they do to prevent them. “I would like to encourage any citizens within the state of Oregon to report any suspected bee related incident. That information is valuable to the department and others involved in evaluating pollinator health.” - Dale Mitchell. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Dale-Mitchell
60 Dr. Bob Peterson - Alfalfa leafcutting bees and mosquitos.
July 16, 2018 06:30 - 48 minutes - 44.9 MBListen in to today's episode to learn about the uniqueness of leafcutting bees, how they're managed, and how to keep your bees safe in using pesticides. “When you look at an alfalfa field, if it has what looks like little metal or wooden sheds in the field, that's where hundreds and hundreds of thousands of leafcutting bees are doing their jobs.” - Dr. Bob Peterson. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Dr-Bob-Peterson
59 Dr. Hollis Woodard - Bees in dynamic and extreme environments
July 09, 2018 06:30 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBListen in to today's episode to learn about the bees that evolved in vastly different climates, and why Dr. Woodard's lab studies the way they have adapted. “In the bumblebee lineage, they have been social for so long now, that it's really difficult, in fact impossible, to definitively answer the question of why they evolved socially.” - Dr. Hollis Woodard. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Dr-Hollis-Woodard
58 Pollinators and their People: The voices of Oregon Pollinator Week 2018
July 02, 2018 06:30 - 41 minutes - 38.6 MBListen in to this special episode to learn how young students can learn about pollinator science and health, and the way education is changing young minds. “It's so cool to see so many kids out here checking out pollinators, and how sophisticated they are and how they really do know a lot about these insects already.” - Nicole Sanchez. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-OPW-2018
57 Drs. Margaret Couvillon and Roger Schürch - Measuring bee habitat quality through honey bee dances
June 25, 2018 06:30 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBListen to today's episode to find out what we can learn from bee dances, and how home gardeners can make a difference creating their own pollinator habitat. “The hypothesis would be that the hotspots the honeybees have indicated are good or bad will map very nicely with areas that either support abundant and diverse native bee communities and bumblebee colonies, or places and times that are hard for them.” - Dr. Margaret Couvillon. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://b...
56 Dr. Ramesh Sagili - How to make a lot of honey this year!
June 18, 2018 06:30 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBOn today's episode, learn how to keep your bees healthy and productive, what is most important in maintaining your bees, and how to prevent varroa mites. “Close to 50% of the nectar that [honeybees] bring in around the year is from blackberries.” - Dr. Ramesh Sagili. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Dr-Ramesh-Sagili
55 Mimi Jenkins - Watermelon Pollination: How native bees affect watermelon crops
June 04, 2018 06:30 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBListen in to learn about Mimi's work studying the pollination of watermelon, and how farmers can improve their crop through cultivating pollinator systems. “Watermelon is one of those crops that is entirely dependent on pollinators in order to set fruit.” - Mimi Jenkins. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Mimi-Jenkins
54 Ron Miksha - Crop Pollination: Past, Present and Future
May 28, 2018 06:30 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBListen in to learn the evolution of migratory beekeepers since the 1970's, and why Ron believes that our current pollination system isn't sustainable. “We can do more with fewer acres by using the honeybees, and they're being provided by commercial beekeepers.” - Ron Miksha. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Ron-Miksha
53 Kelly Rourke - National Pollinator Week
May 21, 2018 06:30 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBListen in to learn about National Pollinator Week, how the Pollinator Partnership helps the world's pollinator populations, and how you can take part. “Protect their lives, preserve ours.” - Kelly Rourke. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Kelly-Rourke
52 OSU Research Retinue - Mowing or mowing less: What helps the bees more?
May 15, 2018 06:30 - 25 minutes - 23.9 MBListen in to learn about how the ways that we maintain our lawns can help or hinder the abundance and diversity of bees, and affect pollinator health. “There are so many variables when you're considering lawns, like how big the lawn is, or where it is, and this study did an amazing job of trying to factor in all of the characteristics.” - Addison DeBoer. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Research-Retinue-Lawns
51 Heather Higo - Rearing your Own Queens
May 07, 2018 06:30 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBListen in to learn more about how you can get started rearing your own queens, the many facets of it's preparation, and Heather's tips in getting started. “Colonies aren't going to rear queens for you unless they're absolutely bursting with bees, and you won't be able to rear good quality queens unless there's a really high level of nutrition in that colony.” - Heather Higo. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Heather-Higo
50 Lincoln Best - Taxonomy with The Oregon Bee Atlas
April 30, 2018 06:30 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBListen in to learn about Lincoln Best's manifesto for native bees and plant communities, and his best practices for volunteers in the Oregon Bee Atlas. “A lot of our environmental issues are landscape issues. So in order to have a healthy landscape, we need to know how to manage places and also restore them.” - Lincoln Best. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Lincoln-Best
49 A $7 million investment in pollinator health by the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR)
April 23, 2018 06:30 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBListen in to today's episode to learn more about FFAR, the work FFAR is doing to help pollinator research, and how they are helping citizen scientists. “We consider the topic of pollinators and pollinator health to be vital to agriculture and to the success of the United States’s agriculture.” - Sally Rockey. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-FFAR
48 Travis Owen - The Amateur Anthecologist
April 16, 2018 06:30 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBListen in to learn more about the science of anthecology, how you can develop resources for pollinators, and what makes the honeybee unique to other bees. “I was really excited to share what I saw. I feel really passionate about it, and I want other people to be passionate about it, too.” - Travis Owen. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Travis-Owen
47 Briana Ezray - Mullerian mimicry and why telling bumble bee species apart by color can be hard.
April 09, 2018 06:30 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBListen in to this episode to learn more about Mullerian mimicry, it's role in the evolution of bumblebees, and why it is the subject of Briana's research. “Depending on where you are, you might have the same species with completely different color patterns, and this is fairly common in Oregon.“ - Briana Ezray. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Briana-Ezray
46 A Well-Curated Bee In A Museum Is Worth A Thousand Pictures
March 26, 2018 06:30 - 56 minutes - 52.3 MBListen in to learn the role of a museum in biodiversity and pollinator research, how citizen scientists can help, and OSU's new grant-funded bee project. “This atlas will stand as a record of what we have done, and hopefully as a basis for understanding where we might go look for more records or need more records.“ - Dr. Chris Marshall. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Dr-Chris-Marshall
45 Practicing Good Mason Bee Stewardship... The Bee Buddy Way
March 19, 2018 06:30 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBListen in to learn how best to take care of your mason bees, when to place them outside, and how the Bee Buddy program helps the pollinator community. “If any of you have the chance, take a mason bee or any pollinator, look at it under the microscope and I think it’s going to open up a whole new world to you.” - Jerry Paul. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Bee-Buddies
44 John Gates - Making Nucleus Colonies
March 12, 2018 06:30 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBListen in to learn about how John got started with nucleus colonies, how he has influenced other beekeepers, and what he saw change in his bees over time. “We examined a number of different beekeeping operations, and it came out that nuc production was the best way to make money. “ - John Gates. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-John-Gates
43 Mark L. Winston - Listening to Bees
March 05, 2018 07:30 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBListen in to learn about Mark’s work on bees and their communication, how his publications have impacted beekeepers everywhere, and his upcoming release. “If I was going to hang out with beekeepers, I needed to learn how to communicate with them effectively, and I learned very quickly that beekeepers are way smarter than most scientists give them credit for.“ - Mark L. Winston. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Mark-L-Winston
42 OSU Bee Squad - Honey Bees and Conservation (Research Retinue)
February 26, 2018 07:30 - 28 minutes - 26.7 MBListen in to learn more about how honeybees affect global regions, which pollinators are the most effective, and how studies could improve their research. “In the fight for bee conservation, we shouldn’t be focusing on honeybees because that’s an agricultural and economic issue, not a conservation issue.” - Isabella Messer. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-OSU-Bee-Squad
41 Rose Kachadoorian - What States Are Doing For pollinator Health
February 19, 2018 07:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBListen in to learn how your local and country agencies have fought for pollinator health, and what changes are taking place with farmers and regulators. “To have this already written plan that has already been agreed upon as a good idea would be really useful for people who want to do the right thing, but aren’t quite sure what that is.“ - Rose Kachadoorian. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Rose-Kachadoorian
40 Tom Landis - Monarch Butterflies in Southwestern Oregon
February 12, 2018 07:30 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBListen in to learn more about the Monarch butterfly, what Monarch waystations are and why they exist, and their unique system of migration. “The adult butterfly weighs half as much as a paperclip, yet they fly 40 miles a day and up to 700 miles [to their destination].“ - Tom Landis. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PN-Tom-Landis
39 Jeff Reardon - Bees in the Legislature
February 05, 2018 07:30 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBListen in as we talk about Reardon’s landmark bill, what it has done for pollinators, and how he involved the bee-keeping community. “[This bill] is one of my favorite projects, ever.“ - Jeff Reardon. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PN-Jeff-Reardon
38 Dr. Ramesh Sagili - The Elusive Secrets of Honey Bee Nutrition and Controlling Varroa Mites
January 29, 2018 08:31 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBListen in as we talk about honey bee nutrition, what beekeepers need to know about nutrition supplements and sterols, and what Ramesh has learned about controlling varroa mites. “There is not much that we understand about the needs of sterols in honey bees.” - Dr. Ramesh Sagili. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Ramesh-Sagili
37 Alison Center - North American Butterfly Association
January 22, 2018 07:30 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBListen in as we talk about butterflies, their fascinating relationship with nature, and how you can plant your garden to attract more butterflies. “The first step is to be curious about butterflies and start noticing them, and then where does your interest lie? Would you like to know more about their natural history? Do you want more of them in your yard? Or are you a birder who wants something new?“ - Alison Center. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Alison...
36 John Gruszka - Independence From Packaged Honey Bees: the Case of Saskatchewan, Canada
January 15, 2018 07:30 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBListen in to hear about the history of pollinators in Northern Canada, wintering techniques, and how packages of bees have changed the beekeeping industry. “In the summertime, it’s God’s country for beekeeping.“ - John Gruszka. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-John-Gruszka
35 BEEvent - Oregon’s Pollinator Conference
January 08, 2018 07:30 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBListen in to learn more about the BEEvent, Oregon’s pollinator conference, and what this event provides gardeners and pollinator enthusiasts of all kinds. “There is a lot of hunger out there to do something to help [pollinators], but people don’t know what to do, and we’re giving them that information.” - Susan Morton. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-BEEvent
34 Dr. Gail Langellotto - What Pollinators Need From Gardeners in Urban Habitats
January 01, 2018 07:30 - 37 minutes - 35 MBListen in to learn about ground nesting bees, the potential problems of plant lists, and how to maximize the benefits of urban landscapes for pollinators. “A lot of [gardeners] don’t recognize the importance of next sites for bees, and in particular, the importance of nest sites for ground nesting bees.“ - Dr. Gail Langellotto. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Dr-Gail-Langellotto
33 Mehmet Ali Döke - How Honey Bees Survive The Winter
December 26, 2017 07:30 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBListen in to learn about the effect of the winter season on bee populations, how bees have adapted, and what beekeepers can do to protect their colonies. “They’re in such large numbers, they wouldn’t be able to make it through another year if they couldn't start the spring earlier than the other species. That’s in a way an advantage, but also a curse.” - Mehmet Doke. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Mehmet-Ali-Doke
32 Matt Arrington - Highbush Blueberries and Honeybees
December 18, 2017 09:28 - 36 minutes - 34 MBListen in to learn about highbush blueberries, and how honeybees can greatly benefit the pollination and harvest of your plants. “[Blueberries] are blooming in the spring, when we usually have fairly heavy rainfall, low temperatures, windstorms, and those are all environmental conditions that are really not good for foraging activities, especially in honeybees.” - Matt Arrington. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Matt-Arrington
31 Doug Sponsler - The Risk of Pesticides to Honey Bees and Ecotoxicology
December 04, 2017 07:30 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBListen in as we go over pesticide's effects on pollinators, the difficulties in testing, and the advantages certain insects have in fighting pesticides. “It’s a bit ironic that the most convenient organism for which to study toxicology from a logistical perspective, the honey bee, is also the most problematic one for which to interpret toxicology.“ - Doug Sponsler. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Doug-Sponsler
30 Steve Frank - Navigating Urban Environments For Pollinators
November 27, 2017 07:30 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBListen in to learn about how urban environments affect pollinators, what homeowners and civil planners can do to improve them, and which plants and trees are best for the city. “People can even help their own local micro-habitat by shading their driveway and their house and things like that, which saves you energy to boot.“ - Steve Frank. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Steve-Frank
29 Alan Turanski - Saving The Bee Through Pollinator Awareness
November 20, 2017 10:20 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBListen in as we talk about the Alan’s work with GloryBee, their raising of bee awareness, and how beginning beekeepers can get started. “At the beginning those were the two tenets of what we’re still trying to achieve today: to raise and expand awareness, and raise support [for honeybees]. “ - Alan Turanski. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PN-Alan-Turanski
28 Al Shay - Urban Landscapes for People and Pollinators
November 13, 2017 07:30 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBFind out more about what you can do for pollinators at your own home, and how Al blends aesthetic and functional aspects of landscaping and pollinator habitats. “It seemed just a horrible shame to have 500-odd acres of space here on campus and have it all strictly geared toward something you look at as you pass by. We could do a better job than that.“ - Al Shay. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Al-Shay
27 Sarah Johnson - On Bumblebee Watch with Citizen Scientists
November 06, 2017 07:30 - 53 minutes - 49.5 MBListen in as we talk about the bee population of Canada, her new captive breeding project, and how citizen science positively impacts her research. “He surveyed a wide variety of people, and the vast majority of them think bees are important but nobody really knows what a bee is versus what a fly is.“ - Sarah Johnson. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PN-Sarah-Johnson
26 Skyler Burrows - Bringing Taxonomy to Citizen Scientists
October 30, 2017 06:30 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBIn today’s episode, we will learn about Skyler’s work with pollinators, his projects with citizen scientists, and how you can get started in taxonomy. “Things like ‘Bees In Your Backyard’ are really helpful, but until you have the bee in your hand, it’s really difficult to know what you’ve got.“ - Skyler Burrows. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PN-Skyler-Burrows
25 Dr. Dewey M. Caron - Managing and Preventing Varroa Mites
October 23, 2017 06:30 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBListen in to this episode to learn about how you can keep your colonies safe from varroa mites, and what tools you can use to prevent and manage them. “It’s not if your colony has varroa mites, that’s not the question you should be asking. You should be asking how many mites does my colony have? ” - Dr. Dewey M. Caron. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PN-Dr-Dewey-M-Caron
24 Kristen Healy - Mosquito Abatement and Pollinators
October 16, 2017 06:30 - 33 minutes - 31 MBWe will be talking about mosquito abatement techniques, their effect on pollinator health, and the research Kristen’s team has done to keep them safe. “They really wanted to know if what they were doing with mosquito control was killing bees, so they asked if we could help address that topic.” - Kristen Healy. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-Kristen-Healy
23 George Hansen - Beekeeper Built Bee Habitat
October 09, 2017 06:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBListen in to learn George's experience as a land manager, good practice in cultivating pollinator habitats, and his work in the advocacy of pollinators. “We’re creating in many areas what are virtually pollinator deserts.“ - George Hansen. Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at http://bit.ly/PN-George-Hansen
22 Oregon Flora Project - Making A New Natural Resource
October 02, 2017 06:30 - 45 minutes - 42.2 MBListen in to learn more about the Oregon Flora Project, and the amazing benefits their research and data collection has on pollinators. “The Oregon Flora Project is striving to make information useful and relevant…to a broad sector of the population.“ - Linda Hardison Learn more about this episode of PolliNation at bit.ly/PolliNation-22
21 Dr. Jim Rivers - Seeing The Forest For The Bees
September 18, 2017 06:30 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBDr. Jim Rivers is a vertebrate ecologist and leader of the Forest Animal Ecology Lab at Oregon State University. With broad research interests that are focused in the fields of animal behavior and physiological ecology, his research program combines observational, experimental, and comparative approaches to test predictions from theory in empirical settings. He recently lead the Pollinators in Managed Forests workshop, which brought together speakers from Oregon State, Washington State, Mont...
20 Erin Udal - Bringing Bees To The People
September 11, 2017 06:30 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBErin Udal leads community pollinator conservation projects out of Vancouver, BC and was formerly the Program Manager and Pollinator Specialist with the Environmental Youth Alliance. With her background in conservation biology, she designs bee-friendly gardens and develops citizen science projects, working to help people protect pollinators in our backyards and parks. Erin finds facilitating hands-on outdoor education very rewarding, and always pleased to share the fascinating and diverse wor...
19 David Phipps - Golf Courses as Pollinator Habitat
August 28, 2017 06:30 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBDavid Phipps is considered one of the Northwest’s leaders in golf course environmental stewardship and innovation. While working as the superintendent at Stone Creek Golf, he received the GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2012, as well as the 2004-2005 Cooperator of the Year by the Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District. David received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Oregon State University in Horticulture, Turf and Landscape Management, and currently ...
18 Lynn Royce – Bees in The Trees
August 14, 2017 06:30 - 38 minutes - 35 MBLynn A. Royce, Ph.D. did her doctoral research on tracheal mites of honey bees and has studied pollinators for over 30 years. She is a passionate scientist who cares deeply about implementing research in practical applications to improve honey bee health. In this episode, we talk about her organization Tree Hive Bees, and how you can perform “bee-lining” to trace wild bees back to their colonies in trees. For more, visit us at pollinationpodcast.oregonstate.edu.
17 Ellie Andrews – The Sociology of Pollinator Health
August 07, 2017 06:30 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBEllie Andrews is a PhD student in Development/Rural Sociology at Cornell University. As honey bees across the US face a range of challenges, keeping bees healthy and productive requires ever more skill and investment. Her research seeks to understand the sociological dimensions of these educational imperatives: how are new beekeepers learning to keep bees and how are experienced ones adapting to new challenges? For more, visit us at pollinationpodcast.oregonstate.edu.
16 Ellen Topitzhofer – Honey Bee Parasite Spread in Pollination
July 31, 2017 18:14 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBEllen Topitzhofer works for the Bee Informed Partnership, an innovative organization across the U.S. that works with commercial bee keepers to tackle some of their most pressing pest management issues. In this episode, we discuss the unique pest issues in the Pacific Northwest, and explore the universal problem of varroa mites in bee colonies. We talk about how best to manage those pests, the relationship of the mites to the bees and pollination patterns, and more. For more, visit us at ...
15 Jen Holt - How to Become a Master Beekeeper
July 24, 2017 14:42 - 37 minutes - 34.9 MBJen Holt is the brand new Coordinator for the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program at OSU. In this episode, we’ll learn about how Jen got interested in bees, what she sees for the future of the program, and the ins and outs of how the program functions today. We discuss beekeeping education from the start to the master - how to take a regular person and turn them into a beekeeper. Jen is co-appointed to the OSU Pollinator Health Program, so we talk about creating synergy between the two programs....
14 Jessa Kay Cruz - Creating Pollinator Habitat Around Farms
July 17, 2017 06:30 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBBee habitat in agricultural landscapes is key element in any good strategy for pollinator health. But farmers have a lot going on and may not have clear answers to some important pollination questions. Our guest is here to help us with these issues. Jessa Kay Cruz is the Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist for California with the Xerces Society. Based in Sacramento, Jessa works closely with landowners and farmers, developing strategies for overcoming misconceptions when it comes t...
13 Ruth Marsh - Repairing Bees with Art
July 10, 2017 05:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBRuth Marsh is a multidisciplinary artist based out of Halifax, NS. Her work uses absurd and often comically deadpan narratives to address loss, absence and longing in the context of living creatures and the natural world. She is interested in investigating themes of environmental loss through labour intensive meditations on transformation: life to death, experience to memory and the surrealistic degradation of information that occurs with each successive change of state. In this episode, w...
12 Scott MacIvor - The Bees of Toronto
July 03, 2017 09:22 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBScott is an Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology at the University of Toronto at Scarborough in the Department of Biological Sciences. Scott is also a researcher at the Green Roof Innovation Testing (GRIT) lab at the University of Toronto in the faculty of Landscape Architecture. Scott has published 12 peer-reviewed articles on green roof ecology and performance, and works with the City of Toronto Planning Division on a number of projects, which have included the 'Bees of Toronto' Biodiversi...