Recent graduate, Rafael Ferrari (Packer Lab), is awarded Thesis Prize for his PhD dissertation “Systematics and Biogeography of Colletinae with Revisionary Studies of the Species of Colletes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Colletinae) from Chile and Eastern South America” Congratulations Rafael! FGS Thesis and Dissertation Prizes honour cutting-edge research

We are officially an Organized Research Unit (ORU) at York University! The Vice President of Research and Innovation (Amir Asif) just announced the senate approval of our proposed ORU - The Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation! We couldn't be prouder and are excited to begin our cross-disciplinary research. Here's to new beginnings! Senate […]

Spencer Monckton (PhD candidate, Packer Lab) delves into the details of the fascinating Vespa mandarinia, incorrectly dubbed the "Murder Hornet". Some key points: The do not post a danger to humans We don't know if they post a threat to (non-native) honey bees There are already multiple introduced honey bee pests in N. America They are […]

Project Swallowtail is a non-profit organization led by Clement Kent (BEEc member), helping build pollinator-friendly urban gardens in Toronto. You can find more information and sign up on their website: projectswallowtail.ca

New publication by Sandra Rehan and her PhD student, Katherine Odanaka looking at wild bee distribution near forest landscapes. Read the full article here: https://forestecosyst.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40663-020-00241-4

The National Academy of Sciences will be hosting a live webcast on Sunday, April 26 at 11:30am. Tune in to hear BEEc director, Amro Zayed, along with a panel of experts on the latest in bee health. For event registration, click here. For session information and live webcast click here.  

The new online format of this lecture series features exciting new research coming out of York University. The spring session is coming up on May 2, 2020! Jane Heffernan, one of our BEEc executive members, will be presenting on modelling for COVID-19. Join her at 1:40pm to hear about how the mathematical models her team […]

Special issue: Spotlight on insects: trends, threats, and conservation challenges, co-authored by BEEc's Laurence Packer along with a team of expert entomologists. The publication brings light to the importance of insect conservation, pointing out population trends and drivers of change leading to future challenges. To read the full article click here.  

Can cities actually provide refuge for biodiversity? Sheila Colla dedicates her research to the conservation of native bees in Ontario, Canada. Watch her live presentation and Q&A for advice on how you can help bees in cities: https://youtu.be/zbNVYPIAe6w

Published today, this new paper studies wild bee communities and populations in apple and blueberry orchards in New Hampshire. Full article here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/afe.12370