lawns aren’t just boring, they’re harmful. covering vast areas in grass that does nothing for pollinators or soil life is ecological nonsense. research shows that common lawn chemicals increase cancer risk, especially in dogs exposed to treated grass. we can still have grassy patches and parks, but this endless obsession with sterile, green perfection is costing us health, biodiversity and water. let’s grow wilder.

monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) perches on a Lantana camera 'Fireworks' in the garden August 2024 #lantana #flowers #garden #pollinators #butterfly #monarch #monarchbutterfly #insect #insects #photography #bug

#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.

# 120

Mites use #bumblebees as taxis clinging to them to hitch a ride into the nest where they feed on pollen/wax/detritus - not the bees!
Most mite species that hang with bumblebees are generally fairly harmless to the #bees.
#nature
#pollinators
#insects
#wildlife
#wildflowers
#beesanctuaryireland

Hang on - whaaat!? "Plants can 'hear' bees buzzing and serve up more nectar when they are nearby, scientists have found. Amazingly, they can tell the difference between a bee’s buzz and that of a non-pollinating insect such as a wasp."

That is AMAZING.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/21/plants-produce-more-nectar-when-they-hear-bees-buzzing-scientists-find

Pleased to share that I'm doing a webinar next Wednesday, May 28th. I'll be talking about my participation in Cornell's Ground-nesting Bees research project with my garden's Rufous-backed Cellophane Bees.

My Little Bees: Participatory Pollinator Research in NYC https://www.eventbrite.com/e/my-little-bees-participatory-pollinator-research-in-nyc-registration-1374824570299

Imagine your farmers making buzzing chants over their crops after they had silenced the world of pollinators with their pesticides: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/21/plants-produce-more-nectar-when-they-hear-bees-buzzing-scientists-find

Your neighbours want you have a #lawn? You want to communicate about #pollinators? ‘Are you the beetle lady? Since you put your posters up I’ve stopped squashing things in my garden, and now I look at them.’ thebathmagazine.co.uk/marian-hill-... How @buzzandscuttle.bsky.social changed people ...

Marian Hill: The Beetle Lady -...

Climate Change And Land Use Changes Threaten Native Bee Populations, study by a German group, published by Proceedings of the Royal Society B: #BiologicalSciences

by @GrrlScientist

#pollinators #bees #insects #ClimateChange #agriculture #SciComm https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2025/05/20/climate-change-and-land-use-changes-threaten-native-bee-populations/

May 20 is World Bee Day. There are ~20,000 different bee species in the world. Here in Ontario we have at least 400 native bees (none of which are the honeybees, which are from Europe). Bees are key to pollination. According to the UN nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops. 1/n

Lots of bees seen out and about today. Happy foraging ladies. #Bees #Pollinators #BloomScrolling #Florespondence

Carpenter #Bee visiting a Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) flower spike in the front #garden.

A honeybee pauses on a purple allium bloom — a tiny, fleeting moment that says spring is in full swing. I’ve got more macro scenes like this coming. If you like what you see, follow along or share with someone who loves nature.

A warm Friday in the yard, wildflowers and pollinators are out. Here a blue flower (California Blue Bell?) and an insect, any input appreciated.

I'm pleased to share this recently published paper led by University of San Francisco undergraduate student Alex Meza in which I played the smallest part. In it, we examine light pollution as a threat to #pollinators that support #Indigenous #FoodSecurity and sovereignty.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/add156

Learning To Love Dandelions

“As we’ve become unmoored from nature, we’ve forgotten the importance and many uses of a variety of plants, especially the much-maligned dandelion”

by @GrrlScientist via #Substack

#dandelions #bumblebees #insects #pollinators #SciComm https://grrlscientist.substack.com/p/learning-to-love-dandelions

OH MY ... where to even start with today's #moth box?

I'll start with FUZZY FACES. More beauties to come later...

1) and 2) The giant POPLAR HAWK MOTH - as if torn from the pages of a magazine but with the cutest fuzzy face

3) and 4) The BUFF TIP - an impressive birch twig mimic.

The joys of having a wild garden. I've lived here for more than 12 years, and in that time, the garden has gone from trimmed hedges, mowed down grass, and no flowers to an absolute abundance of life.
By my last count, I have observed over 800 species. I do not count most of the plants as they wouldn't be here if I hadn't planted or sown them.
The biggest breakthrough was when I put in a small pond.
Every year, I make small tweaks and improvements, such as adding rotting wood, piles of twigs and branches, stone dikes, clay cobs, and nesting boxes. This year, I think I'll try to clear a small area and mix in some sand to attract more ground-nesting bees and maybe put in another pond if I can find the space for it.

Is there an English equivalent to the Danish VildMedVilje (WildOnPurpose)?