Bee wall allows visitors to safely observe pollinators on the campus

The bee wall, which allows visitors to safely view the insects, stands at the Arboretum Outreach Center garden on North Campus.

A short, earth-toned structure at the University of Maryland’s apiary garden might look out of place among the brick buildings of the campus, but it’s designed as an inviting home for native pollinators.

Led by entomology doctoral student Lisa Kuder, a group of volunteers built the habitat wall for bees at the Arboretum Outreach Center’s garden near the front entrance to Byrd Stadium.

“The bee wall is an important tool to help people enjoy these creatures and give them greater understanding of how they live their interesting lives and their contribution to the natural ecosystem,” said Mike Raupp, the entomology professor who funded the installation.

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Kuder said the habitat wall, which was completed Aug. 12, will allow people to get up close and personal with bees in a safe environment, which should assuage fears of stings.

Volunteers, including student interns from entomology professor Dennis vanEngelsdorp’s Honey Bee Lab, worked on the habitat wall during the summer using cob, a natural building material. They drew inspiration for the wall’s design from Paint Branch Creek.

“The shape of the wall reflects the clay bank of a meandering creek exposing layers of the soil,” Kuder said. “Different types of insects will be drawn to each band with varied ratios of clay, sand, silt, depending on their particular nesting requirements.”

The wall also features artwork displaying the life cycle of solitary bees and sections covered in acrylic glass so the public can watch the bees build their nests. An “audio bee cabinet” offers solar-powered equipment that lets visitors plug in their earbuds to listen to the hum of the nesting bees.

“The Arboretum Outreach Center keeps a pair of headphones and a magnifying lens in the office which people are welcome to borrow,” Kuder said.

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Raupp said the installation will serve as a resource for learning about the various pollinators found on the campus, and bees are already moving into the wall.

“Resin bees have been extremely busy filling tunnels with nectar and pollen for their offspring,” Kuder said. “Other species that will likely use the cabinet are mason bees and blue orchard bees and yellow-faced plaster bees.”

The recent decline in bee populations mainly refers to the non-native honeybee, Raupp said. However, there are concerns about the impact of urbanization, habitat loss, pesticides and climate change on American solitary bees.

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University alumnus and cob expert Henry Raduazo, a volunteer with the project, said solitary bees were pollinating crops in the U.S. long before Europeans introduced the honeybee. The habitat wall will bring more awareness to the importance of these pollinators, he said.

“Most articles about bees focus on honeybees and their various problems,” Raduazo said. “It should be noted, though, that honeybees are inferior pollinators and useless for pollinating crops like tomatoes and peppers.”