Bees, a precious ally for cities

Scientists are more interested in Saint Louis native bees: “Compared to any other city in the world studied so far, we are the richest city in these insects – says Ed Spevak, director of the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Native Pollinator Conservation -. It is all one issue of biodiversitywhether it is the biodiversity of bees linked to the production of better crops, or whether it is the biodiversity of the habitat capable of supporting the variety of bees“.

The goal of this scientific project is to better understand which native bees pollinate which types of crops in these public spaces and as growers and gardeners they can attract and protect them. For example, bees don’t like the great outdoors. Instead, they appreciate the shelters offered by the vegetation, which allow them to hide from predators such as dragonflies, perpetually lurking. Self-respecting growers and gardeners may not like to hear about these types of interventions: “These are things that, in general, people like us are trained not to do“explains Dean Gunderson, director of the educational section of the non-profit association Seed St. Louis, which participates in the project. However, if scientists provide evidence that can corroborate it, then the strategy will become more tenable.

Bees that nest on the ground need portions of land, which, however, are not very pleasant from an aesthetic point of view. Urban gardeners would do these species a great favor by giving them some patches of free land, instead of simply rolling out some mulch, as most of the city surfaces are already covered with concrete.

Don’t be afraid of bees. As Spevak says, these insects have no bad intentions – they just want to visit your flowers. “If you try to wipe out a hornet’s nest, you will be stung – Spevak remembers -. If you pass the lawn mower over bees that nest on the ground, you will only do momentary damage, because the insects will start looking for the holes you have just covered.“.

The role of bees in urbanization

Bees are a cornerstone of the expanding scientific field known as urbanization, that is, the design and integration of urban and rural settlements, also useful for beautifying city landscapes. Scientists are studying which crops might be best suited to cities – likely nutrient-dense, fast-growing species such as leafy greens. Basic products such as corn and wheat, on the other hand, would continue to arrive from rural areas, where they are easily cultivated using machinery. Researchers are also trying to figure out which crops are best suited to roofs, ideally under the solar panels which provide shade preventing the plants from being too exposed to the sun. L’agrivoltaicthen, it would make buildings cooler while generating energy and food.