Colleen Satyshur

Research interests

Native bees
Bee nest habitat
Stem and wood nesting bees

My research focuses on discovering nesting habitat needs for wild bees, particularly Minnesota bees that nest in stems or wood. Bees provide important pollination services in both natural ecosystems and agricultural settings. There are >500 species of wild bees in Minnesota. Most of these are solitary, and each female builds and stocks her own nest. Once she has laid eggs, the young are left to develop on their own, and often to over winter as well. Complete bee habitat must provide both flowers for food source and the plants that bees need to build healthy nests. However, little or nothing is known about nesting habitat for an estimated ¾ of wild bee species.