Madison Square Park hosts several native bee habitats for cavity and ground nesting bees.

Man made homes provide habitat for cavity-nesting native bees and are distributed throughout the garden beds in the park. In fall of 2024, some of the more prominent homes were retrofitted using fun stencils with blue, purple, and yellow paint. These colors are attractive to bees, indicating a high nectar content. Bees can see in ultraviolet light and have eyesight five times better than humans.

The park also hosts engineered ground nesting bee homes developed in partnership with students at Rutgers University.

While man made bee homes help support bee populations, sustainable practices conducted year round such as leaving the leaves, leaving dead stems, and planting food for pollinators help support the 415 native species of bee in New York State and the 31 different species of bees observed in the park during a 3 year bee survey.

Madison Square Park Conservancy is committed to making the park a sustainable green sanctuary, not just for New Yorkers to enjoy, but for our pollinator friends that provide integral ecological balance.

Click here to find all four bee homes in the park.