At East Lawn Cemetery in New York, researchers found an astonishing colony of ground-nesting bees, home to about 5.5 million insects. This discovery might just be one of the largest bee gatherings documented.
The journey began when Rachel Fordyce, an entomologist at Cornell University, noticed an abundance of bees during her regular walk through the cemetery in spring 2022. Curious, she collected some and showed them to her supervisor, Bryan Danforth. They identified the bees as Andrena regularis, or the regular mining bee. This solitary bee plays a crucial role in pollinating various crops and wild plants.
The researchers discovered that these bees likely thrived in the cemetery’s undisturbed sandy soil for over 100 years. To put it in perspective, this bee colony is equivalent to more than 200 honeybee hives and surpasses the local human population by three times.
Steve Hoge, the lead author of the study published in the journal Apidologie, remarked on the significance of the find. He noted that while there may be other large bee aggregations around the world, this one stands out in existing literature.
To count the bees, the researchers used emergence traps—small mesh tents that capture insects as they emerge from the ground. From March 30 to May 16, 2023, the team set up traps around the cemetery and collected over 3,000 insects representing 16 different species. Andrena regularis was the star, making up the bulk of the catch.
The study highlights the important role solitary bees play in agriculture, particularly in pollinating crops like apples, which are vital to New York’s economy. “These findings underscore how abundant and essential these ground-nesting bees are,” Danforth said.
Interestingly, Andrena regularis has been part of this cemetery since at least the early 1900s. Cemeteries, often viewed as resting places, can also serve as unexpected sanctuaries for wildlife. Keven Morse, the cemetery superintendent, described the variety of animals he’s seen over the years, including deer and hawks.
Cemeteries provide quiet, pesticide-free spaces, allowing species like these bees to flourish. Danforth pointed out that the nearby Cornell Orchards offers abundant flowering plants in spring, further supporting the bee population.
This discovery raises an important question about urban development: what happens to these crucial habitats? “If we don’t protect these sites, we risk losing millions of vital pollinators,” Danforth warned.
In a world where biodiversity faces constant threats, this remarkable finding serves as a reminder of nature’s resilience.
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