Title

Ensuring Pollination by Conserving and Protecting Ohio's Managed and Native Bees

Relevance

Whether in rural or urban ecosystems, Ohio's fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants require pollination, often provided by bees. The total value of crops benefiting from bee pollination in Ohio is $140 million annually and estimated at $18 billion annually. This includes apples, peaches, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers and strawberries. Bees also contribute to the $3.6 billion in soybeans produced in the state through pollination. Finally, honey is a valuable commodity and Ohio beekeepers produce $3.8 million annually. The total value of honey and other bee products and services nationally is $700 million each year. Over 400 bee species live in Ohio, but their populations and their pollination service are threatened by pesticides, diseases, habitat degradation, heavy metal pollution, and climate change. Our pollination team has investigated the degree, the causes, and remedies for bee declines and provides information to Ohio's agricultural and natural resources stakeholders. Through OSU outreach and extension programs, beekeepers, producers, natural resource managers, gardeners and others learn about bee biology, habitat strategies, and integrated pest management practices to conserve bee health.

Response

The Ohio State University’s Department of Entomology bee research and extension groups are working to address bee population declines and improve species conservation, bee and crop management, and urban landscape management. The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (RPBB) and other bee species are endangered and, in addition to populations being affected by pressures such as habitat loss, they face an increasing threat from disease. Scientists are working to develop methods of disease detection and bee health assessment. Bees are vitally important to the agriculture industry but are affected by changing in farming practices including the increased use of pesticides. Ohio beekeepers transport hives to California for almond bloom, but often encountered dangerous pesticides. Our entomologists are looking at the impact of these agricultural pesticides on honey bees and also collaborating with farmers to develop ways to better support bees in corn and soybean agricultural systems. But not all bees live in rural areas; we have documented 26% of Ohio's bee species in the city of Cleveland. Our scientists also study the development of bee friendly urban habitats. Our pollinator education programs have expanded to reach over 9,600 participants in 2021.

Results

We developed a non-lethal disease detection method to assess the health of endangered species such as the RPBB in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS is using the recommendations for RPBB conservation to set research priorities and prioritize federal funds for projects in the Great Lakes Research Initiative. Our findings that insecticides and spray adjuvants, common additives to pesticide applications, can cause harm to bees has led to changes in the recommendations by the Almond Board of Californias Best Management Practices to avoid using these products and resulted in a 70% reduction in insecticide use during almond bloom and pollination. We are determining soybean varieties that are most beneficial for bees and beekeepers and our studies on the mutually beneficial interactions between soybeans and honey bees encourage farmers to reduce insecticide use during soybean bloom and adjust the timing of application to minimize pesticide exposure for bees. Our studies of urban bees demonstrated the importance of urban green spaces as habitat. A season long, city-wide bee forage can be achieved by monthly mowing of vacant land a practice that many municipalities are employing. Weedy plants such as red clover and chicory as well as pocket prairies of native wildflowers in vacant lots can provide high quality habitat to support bee health and reproductive success. Unfortunately, we have found that bumble bees in Cleveland accumulate heavy metals in their provisions and this results in significantly higher brood mortality. Our heavy metal findings have resulted in a new partnership with Kurtz Bros. Inc. (Independence, OH) to develop and test low-cost soil amendments to reduce the bioavailability of lead and other heavy metals in urban soils, reducing exposure risks for people and biodiversity.

Public Value Statement

Bees are critical to fruit, nut, and vegetable production and ensure the health of native and ornamental plants in Ohio. Several bee species in Ohio are declining, including honey bees, the primary agricultural pollinators in the USA. Identifying the scope of bee declines, causal factors, and remediating actions are important not only for agriculture but also for consumers.

Primary Focus Area

Environmental Stewardship

Secondary Focus Area

Agricultural Systems

Impact Statement