UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) is launching an exciting new research effort focused on native bees and pollinator health in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Led by Dr. Rachel Vannette, PhD — Professor and Vice Chair in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology — this study explores how bees protect themselves from pathogens and what that means for Tahoe’s ecosystems.
Dr. Vannette’s team has investigated bee–pathogen interactions along the California coast and in the Sierra foothills, but this work has never been conducted in Tahoe. Bringing the research here is especially compelling because Tahoe’s high elevation, snow-driven seasons, and distinct climate may create different pressures on bees than other regions of California. This project will help reveal whether Tahoe bees use unique strategies to cope with pathogens — and how those strategies may shift with climate change.
Why Pollinators Matter in Tahoe
Pollinators are essential for maintaining native plant diversity in the Tahoe Basin. Bees help plants reproduce, and they also support outcrossing — moving pollen between different plants — which increases genetic diversity in seeds. Greater genetic diversity strengthens plant resilience, helping native species better withstand changing conditions such as warming temperatures, shifting snowpack, and drought.
How Bees Fight Pathogens
Bees solve problems in remarkably diverse ways. This project examines the range of strategies bees use to avoid or suppress pathogens, including:
- Producing their own antifungal and antimicrobial chemistry
- Using beneficial microbial partners (symbionts) that generate protective compounds
- Employing species-specific behaviors and ecological strategies that reduce exposure
Dr. Vannette’s research includes collaborative work with other universities to study the “microbial allies” of bees and the novel chemistry these partnerships can create. These compounds may have relevance beyond pollinator health, offering potential insight into antifungal strategies that could inform human health research.
Building a Baseline for Tahoe’s Native Bees
Despite the importance of pollinators, Tahoe lacks comprehensive long-term data on native bee populations. While a few short-term surveys exist, they cannot reveal whether bee communities are:
- Increasing or declining
- Shifting in elevation
- Changing their seasonal timing (phenology)
- Moving across the landscape in response to climate change
This project is a groundbreaking baseline study designed to begin filling that gap and laying the foundation for long-term monitoring in the Tahoe Basin.
Why This Study Matters
Native bees are more than just fascinating insects — they are foundational to the health and resilience of the Tahoe Basin. By improving our understanding of pollinator diversity, pathogen defense, and long-term change, this project supports the broader goal of sustaining healthy watersheds and ecosystems that communities depend on.
If you love Tahoe’s wildflowers, forests, and mountain landscapes, this research is about protecting the small creatures that help keep them thriving.
For more information email Rachel Vannette @ UC Davis.