New bee hotels installed by Fleming College are creating buzz in Lindsay as part of a research initiative to understand how to better protect native pollinators.
Bee hotels cavities in wood and tube structures used for nesting have been installed in the pollinator gardens at Fleming's Frost Campus over the past three years. These structures are not hives; rather, they offer nesting spaces for solitary native bees, which play a vital role in pollinating gardens, crops, and fruit trees.
Launched in partnership with Pollinator Partnership Canada and the City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee, the project explores whether these artificial habitats have a net-positive impact on native bees. Three bee hotel designs are being tested across several site types, including public parks, community food gardens, and pollinator gardens.
Fleming College professor and project lead Erin McGauley notes that while bee hotels are often viewed as a feel-good environmental initiative, the research team is taking a closer look to better understand their true impact, specifically, whether they help or harm native bees.
Student researchers will evaluate the use and occupancy of the bee hotels and characterize the sites based on their floral resources. They will also monitor for common predators and parasites like ants, spiders, pollen mites, and chalkbrood. Few studies have empirically assessed the risks and benefits of bee hotels, especially in urban settings.
Native bees are essential pollinators and are generally docile, not aggressive or prone to stinging. Yet many species are under threat, including bumblebees; one in four of which is now listed as a species at risk in Ontario.
Fleming students play a central role in the work. Student research assistants helped build and will monitor the bee hotels. Students also developed field protocols and will identify bees using apps such as iNaturalist. A technologist will provide support over the summer, and students from several academic courses will contribute to or learn from the project throughout the year.
Research findings will be shared with project partners and the wider public through a final report, infographics and outreach events, including Pollinator Week in June and the Monarch Festival in September. Residents are encouraged to keep an eye out for the bee hotels at Frost Campus and other local green spaces.
