Bee hotels are man-made structures that offer native bees and other insects opportunities to reside and/or propagate. They are widely recommended as a measure to halt or reverse dramatic declines in pollinator populations, but a scientific understanding of the benefits of these structures is almost absent. We formed a group of UCR students and propose to use the campus to conduct a long-term research study to quantify the effectiveness of bee hotels and study their occupants. Our aim is to deploy bee hotels and collect publishable research data over the coming years. This activity was a part of a campus initiative to get UCR campus certified as bee-friendly and will provide an outreach opportunity to inform the campus community about the beauty and importance of pollinators. This initiative further offers possibilities for students to participate and contribute to entomological research activities.
Left image: Boris Baer, Mark Swenson, Sakshi Watts, Chris Allen, and other students install the Bee Hotel on Picnic Hill at UCR
Right images: Bee Hotel front view and side view at AgOps