Urban Surveying of Bees and Wasps and Conscious Management

Pollinators are integral to the functioning of urban ecosystems and agriculture yet face decline from habitat loss and fragmentation associated with urbanization. Recently, a growing number of urban universities have taken steps to ensure their campuses support pollinators. Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a semi-urban school located in the unique ecological area between the biodiversity hotspot of the Southeastern Appalachians and the urban space of Atlanta, Georgia. Before the present study, no survey had been conducted to determine what pollinators and associated floral resources exist on the school’s grounds. Thus, we present the first inventory of pollinators and the floral resources that support them at KSU. We used a standardized sampling method to collect bees and wasps from flowering plants at four campus properties (Kennesaw Campus, Marietta Campus, KSU Sports and Entertainment Park, KSU Field Station) from March to April of 2022, and combined this formal survey data with informal data collected from March to November of 2021. We determined which floral resources are associated with particular pollinator species and compiled a cumulative list of pollinators and flowering species present. We discuss how creating a comprehensive, local inventory of bees and wasps can inform the future management of KSU’s properties such that they can be a haven for these critically important animals