Pollinators Across the West
- AgInnovation
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Land-grant pollinator research drives real-world solutions to strengthen agriculture, native plants, and food systems.
By the Western Region Communications Team — summarized for agInnovation
From deserts and mountains to islands and coastal areas, the Western region is a vast and varied landscape. To address declining pollinator populations, land-grant universities are leading research efforts to strengthen our agricultural and food systems that support strong communities.
Below are a collection of examples of these research efforts in action:
University of Alaska
Research conducted at the University of Alaska found that native plants supported more pollinator species than common invasive, flowering plants. The results of the research supported outreach to communities to replace invasive plants with native flowers.
Read the full story from Alaska.
University of California, Davis
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, identified strategies to better protect California’s native bees, thereby improving the ecological and economic resilience of agricultural production. The research identified crop-pesticide-time of year combinations in California by mapping pesticide risk exposure for bees and other pollinators.
Read the full story from California.
University of Idaho
A pollinator garden at the University of Idaho Parma Research and Extension Center is raising awareness around the role of pollinators in agriculture and which pollinators benefit from specific flowering plants. Farmers are watching lessons learned from the garden and expressed interest in expanding research on planting pollinator strips.
Read the full story from Idaho.
Colorado State University
Extension interns at Colorado State University assessed the efficacy of ‘bee hotels,’ identifying overwintering sites and increasing the impact of the Native Bee Watch community-science program. The research used emergence traps and radio telemetry to track and study the overwintering habits of bumblebees.
Read the full story from Colorado.
Montana State University
A team at Montana State University is working to better understand the impact of virus infections on honeybee health. One study is using flight performance as an indicator of overall bee health, and so far, studies have found that bees infected with some viruses don’t fly as far or as fast as healthy bees.
Read the full story from Montana.
University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming researchers are studying how bumblebees respond to heat waves, using RFID tags to track movement in and out of hives. Bumblebees can fan their wings to cool the hive and vibrate to stay warm. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the research will examine how behaviors change.
Read the full story from Wyoming.
Oregon State University
Oregon State University research examined whether developed native plant cultivars differ from wild native plants in quantity and quality of pollinator visits, as well as how bees use the flowers. The study found that most cultivars differ in ways that support fewer pollinators.
Read the full story from Oregon.
Washington State University
Washington State University’s bee program outreach events facilitate the translation of science-based best management practices into actionable advice that hobbyist and professional beekeepers can adopt to better support pollinators.
Read the full story from Washington.
The research happening at America’s land-grant universities is too important to stay inside academic journals. Share this story and subscribe to the agInnovation newsletter to keep up with the breakthroughs shaping the future of food, farming, and beyond.
