Bee Hotels And Bunkers Will Act As Habitats For At-Risk NYC Bees

BROOKLYN, NY — The New York City Department of Transportation, The Horticultural Society of New York and Rutgers University announced Thursday the creation of a new initiative that would create habitats for at-risk bee populations.

The Pollinator Port Project will install “bee hotels and “bee bunkers” at select public plazas and Open Streets in NYC – including two locations in Brooklyn at Gates Avenue and Parkside Plaza.

Vegetation will be planted to provide nourishment for bees and other pollinators, officials said.

“Bees are essential for the health of our planet, and this initiative will create habitats for at-risk native bee populations and help facilitate important scientific research,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, during a press conference in Clinton Hill.

Bee hotels will look similar to bird houses filled with natural materials such as reeds and bamboo that serve as ‘rooms’ for bees to nest their larvae and for rest. This will also allow developing baby bees to safely grow.

Bee bunkers provide protected soil for female bees to build their nests and lay their eggs. Over the winter, the developing larvae are kept safe and after some time emerge in the spring. The bunkers will be placed inside existing planters to minimize interactions with people, officials said.

“We are thrilled to work with DOT to support bringing pollinators to NYC public plazas and open streets, and to share more with New Yorkers about the pollinators that help their green public spaces thrive,” said Georgia Faulkner, senior director of partnerships, programming and public space at HORT.

Last year, bee hotels and bunkers were tested in Brooklyn and in the Bronx.

The Pollinator Port Project will be implemented at Fordham Plaza in the Bronx, Parkside Plaza in Brooklyn, Cooper Square Plaza in Manhattan, Quisqueya Plaza in Manhattan, Water Street in Staten Island, Gates Avenue in Brooklyn and 34th Avenue in Queens.

In addition to providing habitats, researchers from Rutgers University will study the bees, their use of provided habitats, and how they move across the city. In one study, the bees will be marked using safe, biodegradable, colored spots to gain information about their population size and movement between green spaces, officials said.

“Most bee species cannot live in hives, so we need to give them other materials to build their homes. Our hope is that these Pollinator Ports connect green spaces, giving bees the resources they need to move around the city and pollinate our flowers,” said Dr. Kimberly N. Russell, program director and associate professor at the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources at Rutgers University,