Ground-Nesting Bees Flourish in Ithaca Cemetery, Study Finds

In Ithaca, New York, the East Lawn Cemetery is home to an unusual resident: the Andrena regularis, commonly known as the regular miner bee. This black-and-tan, fuzzy bee, sometimes marked with yellow patches, is gathering pollen in a place where most would least expect it—a cemetery.

Far from being the ghost of a buried worker, this bee is a solitary species, unlike the social honey bees humans often associate with hives and honey production. In fact, over 90% of bee species are solitary, and the regular miner bee is no exception. Instead of forming large colonies, it digs tunnels into the ground to nest, earning its name.

Cornell University Discovers a Bee Haven

Researchers at Cornell University have uncovered that the East Lawn Cemetery supports one of the largest and oldest known communities of ground-nesting bees in the world. The cemetery’s well-maintained lawns and tombstones create an environment that, while seemingly sterile to humans, is ideal for these bees. The findings underscore a growing realization: cemeteries, often overlooked, serve as critical habitats for diverse wildlife, from insects to mammals.

Bees face mounting threats from habitat loss and pesticide use, making the preservation of such spaces vital for pollinators that fertilize crops, especially as climate change disrupts ecosystems.

“It’s exciting to see that things like this are being discovered, where you find biodiversity in unexpected places. It’s kind of this key, or this ‘aha’ moment, where it’s like: ‘Wait, not only is this happening without us noticing, we should now encourage and foster this biodiversity.’”

Christopher Grinter, collection manager of entomology at the California Academy of Sciences (not involved in the research), shared this perspective.

Solitary Bees: The Unsung Heroes of Pollination

Contrary to popular belief, most bees are not social honey producers. The image of bees living in large colonies with a queen and worker bees is just one part of the story. The vast majority of bee species are solitary, nesting in underground tunnels or natural cavities like trees.

The regular miner bee, for example, digs its nesting cavities beneath the East Lawn Cemetery. Here, it lays eggs that hatch into larvae, emerging as adults the following spring. These bees then become essential pollinators for local flora, including New York’s apple trees, a crop of significant economic value.

Why a Cemetery is Perfect for Bees

Ironically, the same features that make cemeteries ideal for human burials also make them perfect for ground-dwelling bees. Jordan Kueneman, a community ecologist at Cornell University and coauthor of the study, explained:

“Places that don’t flood, and places that are easy to dig and don’t collapse when you dig them.”

These conditions allow bees like the regular miner bee to thrive, turning what might seem like an unlikely spot into a bustling hub of pollination activity. The discovery highlights the importance of rethinking how we manage these spaces—not just as final resting places, but as vital ecosystems that support biodiversity.