Search results for pollinator food

In this second installation of the “Penn State Pollinator Webinar Series”, Dr. Robyn Underwood, an Assistant Research Professor at Penn State, goes in depth on beekeeping and how to best care for colonies.

A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to spearhead a new initiative to create novel monitoring systems for insect populations, many of which are experiencing dramatic changes across the globe due to changes in land use, pollution and climate change.

By Jodie LeMaster

Penn State's Center for Pollinator Research and the Insect Biodiversity Center, and the Department of Graphic Design in the College of Arts and Architecture, have formed a partnership, funded by the Apes Valentes Program, to develop, design and produce materials to help increase awareness of pollinator biodiversity, the importance of pollinators to food security and ecosystem health, and strategies that can be used to support pollinators in urban, agricultural and natural landscapes.

The world has more insects than all other living things combined. We need insects! Many insects work for us. They visit flowers and spread pollen so plants can produce fruits and vegetables. Some insects eat other insects that damage plants. These “worker” insects are welcome guests.

Bees balance their protein and lipids from pollen of different flowers. Our new research article analyzes a suite of plant species pollen nutritional values to discover trends in bee-flower interactions. This dataset could help growers, gardeners, and conservationists when selecting plant species to choose for pollinator habitat restoration by providing species rich and nutritionally diverse landscapes.

A surprising diversity of insects are responsible for pollination of plants. This exhibit highlights these pollinators and shares some of our favorite pollination facts.