A Cornell University research team has uncovered a colony of 5.5 million Andrena regularis bees thriving beneath East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca, New York, in what may be the largest known aggregation of ground-nesting bees. The discovery, published in April 2023 in the journal *Apidologie*, reveals the cemetery’s undisturbed sandy soil has sustained the population for over a century, highlighting cemeteries as overlooked urban ecosystems.
The Unlikely Habitat: A Century of Bee Life Beneath a Cemetery
The East Lawn Cemetery, established in 1878, became an unintentional sanctuary for the solitary mining bee (Andrena regularis) as early as the 1900s. Rachel Fordyce, a Cornell University lab technician, first noticed the dense bee activity during a 2022 walk to work. Her discovery led to a study that confirmed the site hosts 1.25 to 1.5 acres of nesting grounds, with an estimated 5.5 million individuals—equivalent to 200 honeybee hives or three times Manhattan’s human population. “I’m sure there are other large bee aggregations that exist around the world that we just haven’t identified,” said Steve Hoge, the study’s lead author.
The bees’ survival hinges on the cemetery’s lack of pesticide use and minimal human disturbance. “Cemeteries provide especially good habitat because the land is peaceful, rarely disturbed, and largely free of pesticides,” researchers noted. Keven Morse, the cemetery’s superintendent, described the bees as “all over the cemetery,” adding that he avoids mowing certain areas to protect their nests. “There’s probably three or four sections where they really migrate heavy, there’s a lot of them,” he said.
Methodology: Traps, Data, and a Surprising Abundance
To estimate the population, scientists deployed 10 emergence traps—small mesh tents—across the cemetery between March 30 and May 16, 2023. These traps captured 3,251 insects, with A. regularis dominating the samples. By extrapolating from trap density, researchers calculated a total population of 3 to 8 million bees, averaging 5.5 million. The study also revealed the species’ unique life cycle: males emerge days before females to maximize mating, while females excavate underground nests filled with pollen and nectar. The bees overwinter as adults, emerging early to pollinate apple orchards at Cornell University.
“The research elevates the value of solitary ground-nesting bees and shows just how abundant these bees are, how important they are as crop pollinators, and that we need to be aware of these nest sites and preserve them,” said Bryan Danforth, Fordyce’s supervisor and a Cornell entomologist. The study also documented ecological interactions, such as parasitism by Nomada imbricata bees, which lay eggs in A. regularis nests.
Implications for Biodiversity and Urban Planning
The discovery challenges assumptions about urban spaces as biodiversity deserts. Cemeteries, often seen as static landscapes, may instead serve as critical refuges. “Cemeteries can act as important urban ecosystems, creating habitat for plants, birds, mammals, and, in this case, bees,” the researchers wrote. Historical records indicate the bees have coexisted with the cemetery’s flora and fauna for over a century, adapting to its quiet, undisturbed environment.
The study underscores the need to protect ground-nesting bees, which make up 75% of bee species but are vulnerable to habitat loss. “These are all over the cemetery,” Fordyce told Danforth during their 2022 encounter, a moment that sparked the research. The findings could influence land management policies, encouraging cities to designate protected zones for pollinators within public spaces.
Reactions and Future Steps
The research has drawn attention from conservationists and policymakers. “This is one of the largest [bee aggregations] in the literature,” Hoge said, emphasizing the urgency of preserving similar sites. Morse, who has managed the cemetery for 46 years, expressed pride in its role as a wildlife haven. “And of course, bees, which he said have never stung him,” the study noted.
While the immediate next step is to advocate for the cemetery’s protection, the broader implication lies in rethinking urban planning. “Older cemeteries, especially in cities, are already known to shelter uncommon plants, insects, birds, and mammals,” the researchers wrote. As climate change and habitat fragmentation accelerate, such spaces may become even more vital for sustaining pollinators and other wildlife.
For now, the bees continue their silent work, transforming a historic cemetery into a living testament to nature’s resilience. “The research elevates the value of solitary ground-nesting bees,” Danforth said, “and shows just how abundant these bees are.”
Wired The Weather Network <a The findings have implications for urban planning, highlighting the need for more green spaces to support local biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change and habitat loss.
