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Missouri Beekeeper Uses Horizontal Hives and Local Bees for Increased Sustainability
With SARE support, Leo Sharashkin has been able to share information about starting an apiary with wild local bee stock, using bee-friendly, do-it-yourself hive models, and simple, accessible management techniques.
Beekeepers are stewards of an essential resource; the plants that bees pollinate constitute more than 30 percent of the food we eat and the beverages we drink. While the role of alternative pollinators is vital, bees continue to provide an important service to agriculture in our region. From research projects about Colony Collapse Disorder, to educational programs around beekeeping, to innovative hive designs, NCR-SARE has funded a wide variety of grants to help beekeepers.
Enhancing Crop Yield Through Wild Pollinators
In this journal article, SARE-supported research provides a general framework and examples of approaches for enhancing pollinator richness and abundance, quantity and quality of pollen on stigmas, crop yield, and farmers’ profit, including some benefits detected only through long-term monitoring. The authors argue for integrating the promotion of wild-insect species richness with single-species management to benefit farmers and society.
Honeybee losses compounded with rising rental rates for pollination are a concern for many producers. Not only are growers looking for alternative pollinators to improve crop security, but they also want to learn how to manage on-farm habitats for native bees and other pollinators. NCR-SARE has supported researchers, educators, and producers who are researching, rearing, and managing species that provide pollination alternatives to the declining honey bee.
Spring Wild Bees of Wisconsin Online Identification Guide
The Spring Wild Bees of Wisconsin online guide is designed to help users identify wild bees commonly found in Wisconsin in the spring and early summer by their color, shape, size, and habitat. Users can learn to distinguish among different types of bees and learn about the important roles they play in nature and agriculture.
Michigan Researches Use Flowering Plant Strips to Support Beneficial Insects and Increase Crop Productivity
Beneficial insects are valued on farms for their abilities to perform services like pollination and pest control. Researchers at Michigan State University are exploring whether plantings of native Midwest flowers can support beneficial insects and lead to improved crop productivity and quality. “There has been a growing interest in recent years about the economic and […]
Beneficial Insect Guide
A printed guide to insect conservation on fruit farms.