Garden Maintenance for Stem Nesting Bees

July 23, 2026

With Elsa Youngsteadt, Ph.D, Associate Professor,  Department of Applied Ecology, NC State, and

Hannah Levenson, Ph.D, Research Scholar, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at NC State 

In winter bees are out of sight, but we can’t let them be out of mind. Overwintering habitat is crucial for North Carolina’s more than 560 species of bees. In this presentation you’ll learn about the very latest research on nesting habits used by our wild bees, and how we can best manage our gardens and landscapes to create these critical habitats for bees.

About our Speakers:

Elsa Youngsteadt, Ph.D.,  is an associate professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State University. Her research group investigates the effects of urbanization and climate change on insects, including bees, ants, and butterflies. Youngsteadt also conducts Extension and outreach about native bees, and developed outreach materials that are used statewide, including guides to bee identification and nesting habitat for North Carolina. She got her Ph.D. in Entomology from NC State, then worked as a science writer and editor for American Scientist magazine, then returned to research in ecosystems throughout the Americas, from the Carolina sandhills to the Peruvian Amazon. Elsa grew up in Missouri and spent a few years in Wisconsin before settling in North Carolina, where her favorite bee is the carpenter bee and her favorite ecosystem is the longleaf pine savanna.

Hannah Levenson, Ph.D, is a Research Scholar and principal investigator of the Specialty Crops Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management Lab in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at NC State University. She is an integrative community ecologist and her research uses IPPM principles to make disturbed and agricultural systems more sustainable. Hannah is a bee expert with experience researching both native bees and honey bees in US and international settings. She also has extensive experience in Extension and outreach activities about both pest and beneficial insects.

Resources shared in this program:

• The Bees of North Carolina:  An Identification Guide
• Winter is a Great Time to Tidy Up Perennial Stems for Pollinator Habitat
• Trim Perennial Stems in Their First Winter
• Gardening for Pollinators: The Right Way to Trim Stems
  
• Published Research Article: To Provide Pollinator Nesting Habitat, Cut Dead Perennial Stems in Their First Winter
• Million Pollinator Gardens Challenge
• How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel

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