Cornell Scientists Find 5.5 Million Bees in 1.5-Acre New York Cemetery
Updated
Updated · Good News Network · May 29
Cornell Scientists Find 5.5 Million Bees in 1.5-Acre New York Cemetery
7 articles · Updated · Good News Network · May 29
A Cornell team estimated about 5.5 million Andrena regularis bees are nesting beneath Ithaca’s East Lawn Cemetery, making the site one of the largest bee aggregations documented.
Ten emergence traps set from March 30 to May 16, 2023 captured 3,251 insects across 16 species; researchers used those counts to project roughly 3 million to 8 million bees over 1.5 acres.
Historical records indicate the ground-nesting colony has occupied the cemetery since at least the early 1900s, sustained by undisturbed sandy soil, low pesticide exposure and nearby spring blooms from Cornell Orchards.
The study, published in Apidologie, says the finding elevates the importance of solitary bees as crop pollinators and strengthens the case for cemeteries as urban biodiversity refuges needing protection.
Are millions of essential wild bees secretly thriving in our cemeteries?
As cities grow, are graveyards becoming our last urban wildlife refuges?
The East Lawn Cemetery Bee Miracle: Millions of Ground-Nesting Bees Reveal Urban Biodiversity Hotspot
Overview
A remarkably large aggregation of wild bees was discovered in East Lawn Cemetery between 2022 and 2023, standing out as one of the largest known bee populations ever documented. Detailed in a recent study, this site’s unparalleled scale offers a unique chance to explore the biology and ecological role of these wild bees, especially the ground-nesting species Andrena regularis. The research highlights how such urban spaces can support substantial biodiversity, providing valuable insights into the lives of these vital insects and emphasizing the importance of preserving undisturbed habitats within cities.