Bug Banter with the Xerces Society

Bug Banter with the Xerces Society

The Xerces Society

Episodes 62
Avg. Duration 39m
Activity Highly Active
Since Oct 2023
Latest Episode Mar 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
87%
Hosting
feeds.buzzsprout.com

About This Podcast

Join us as we explore the fascinating world of invertebrates and discover how to help these extraordinary animals. 

The Xerces Society is a nationwide non-profit organization that works to conserve invertebrates and their habitats. 

For more information go to xerces.org.

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Recent Episodes

S3E5 Buying Bee Safe Plants: How to keep pesticides out of your garden

Mar 03, 2026 35m Transcript

There may be a hidden danger lurking in the plants you purchase. Many plants sold at stores and nurseries, even native plants, are pre-treated with pesticides. So while trying to provide habitat for…

S3E4 Where the Wind Blows: Does wind speed affect overwintering monarchs?

Feb 17, 2026 38m Transcript

**Correction: In this episode it states that the number of western monarchs in 2023 was 9,000 total. This was the total number for 2024.Monarch butterflies are known as long-distance travelers,…

S3E3 Lessons from a Pollinator Gardener

Feb 03, 2026 37m Transcript

There are countless ways to support the invertebrates we care about, and creating habitat in your own backyard or community is one we’ve often discussed. Today, we’ll explore real-world examples—what…

S3E2 Making the Invisible Visible: Why Science Illustration Matters

Jan 20, 2026 41m Transcript

Illustration is a powerful and important tool for conservation, bringing science to life and presenting complex information in an engaging format. In this episode, we are continuing our exploration…

S3E1 Bring Back the Pollinators: Four Simple Steps to Save the Bees

Jan 06, 2026 38m Transcript

For years now, there’s been a growing buzz—pun intended—about how to save our pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and so many other important species are struggling, but the good news is that each of us…

S2E25 Walls That Speak: Inspiring Conservation Through Art

Dec 16, 2025 37m Transcript

When science and art meet they create a nexus where inspiration and education combine to create impactful outcomes. From illustrated ID guides to building-sized murals, art has been interwoven into…

S2E24 A Year in Invertebrate Conservation: Successes and the Road Ahead

Dec 02, 2025 51m Transcript

Over the past year, we’ve explored a diversity of invertebrates, the threats they face, and the ways we can help support them. In this episode, we’ll take a closer look at invertebrate…

S2E23 Hidden in Plain Sight: Pesticide Contamination in Butterfly Host Plants

Nov 18, 2025 29m Transcript

The State of the Butterflies in the United States project demonstrated that butterfly populations across the US are dramatically declining — they fell by more than 20% between the year 2000 and 2020.…

S2E22 Adaptations at Altitude: The Biology of Mountain Snails

Nov 04, 2025 27m Transcript

Given the name of our podcast, it is no surprise that we talk a lot about bugs, but in this episode, we are stretching our invertebrate muscles and looking at a group of invertebrates that we haven’t…

S2E21 The Secret Lives of Bumble Bees: Nesting and Overwintering

Oct 21, 2025 37m Transcript

We’ve all heard the familiar buzz of a bumble bee. Their fuzzy bodies fly around looking for pollen and nectar. But where do bumble bees nest? Where do they spend the winter? And how can we support…

S2E20 The Salmonfly Project: Anglers, Insect Conservation, and the Future of Freshwater Streams

Oct 07, 2025 44m Transcript

Insects play a critical role in rivers, lakes, and streams, acting as a vital food source for many animals and maintaining the health of these freshwater ecosystems. A few of these insects include:…

S2E19 Bitter Nectar, Toxic Pollen: Pollinators and Plant Chemicals

Sep 16, 2025 42m Transcript

We’ve spent some time on this podcast discussing pollinators and their life histories but today we are taking a deeper dive into plant chemistry to better understand the relationship between…

S2E18 Leave the Leaves or Lose the Insects

Sep 02, 2025 33m Transcript

**Correction: The study described in this episode states that the total number of insects emerging from a square meter was 18,000. The correct number is 1,800.Leave the leaves has become something of…

S2E17 Monarchs & Pesticides: Understanding the Impact, Exploring the Solutions

Aug 19, 2025 43m Transcript

In this episode, we will be taking a closer look at the monarch butterfly, but we won’t be talking about milkweed or nectar plants, or the migration and overwintering sites – at least, not directly.…

S2E16 Understanding Native Bee Populations: The State of the Bees Initiative

Aug 05, 2025 39m Transcript

How are native bee species in the US doing in light of the major threats they are facing? What more do we need to know to protect them? There are over 3,600 species of native bees in the United…

S2E15 The Living Fence: Hedgerows as Havens for Insects

Jul 15, 2025 31m Transcript

Co-host Matthew Shepherd came from Britain, a country known for its hedgerows. He grew up surrounded by hedges, sometimes many centuries old, crisscrossing the countryside. Early in Matthew's career…

S2E14 State of the Butterflies in the United States: A Roadmap for Recovery

Jul 01, 2025 47m Transcript

I’m sure it’s not surprising to hear that butterflies are in decline, but the speed at which it is happening may be. Butterflies are being lost at a rate of 1.3% per year, which means more than…

S2E13 Bug Banter Live! Building Pollinator Habitat

Jun 20, 2025 54m Transcript

One of the most effective ways to contribute to pollinator conservation is to provide the essential components of pollinator habitat. To celebrate Pollinator Week, we invited a panel of Xerces…

S2E12 Pollinator Check-Up: Bee Health and Novel Monitoring Tools

Jun 17, 2025 41m Transcript

In the face of insect decline, it is critical for us to understand pollinator health both in terms of influencing factors and how to monitor those impacts. Today we are specifically focusing on…

S2E11 How Habitat Kits Are Helping Save Pollinators

Jun 03, 2025 34m Transcript

Creating habitats with native plants is one of the most impactful ways to help invertebrates. One of the programs at Xerces is helping people do just that by providing free Habitat Kits to…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Bug Banter with the Xerces Society have?

Bug Banter with the Xerces Society has published 62 episodes since October 2023, covering topics in Nature, Science.

Is Bug Banter with the Xerces Society still active?

Bug Banter with the Xerces Society is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 39m.

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