Why 5.5 Million Bees Chose a Cemetery

A huge ground-nesting colony stunned researchers.

View in Browser  DIGITAL ISSUES GEAR REVIEWS SUBSCRIBE The Story We Can't Stop Thinking About  A secret swarm. A quiet cemetery in upstate New York is hiding one of the largest bee populations on Earth. Researchers estimate that 5.5 million ground-nesting bees are living just beneath the surface—part of a largely invisible majority of species that don’t build hives at all. The discovery offers a rare look at how these solitary pollinators operate, and a reminder that some of the most important ecosystems are happening right under our feet. —Andrew Daniels, Director of News Scientists Found Millions of Bees Hiding Beneath a Cemetery A seemingly ordinary cemetery is a sprawling underground habitat for extraordinary numbers of bees. Read More The Cold War Tech That Led to the Titanic Discovery Robert Ballard had to do the Navy a favor before he could proceed with his hunt for the famed ship. Read More The Strange Case of Moss, Grave Robbing, and the FBI How a perfect alibi was completely destroyed by a single clump of dead moss. Read More GEAR REPORT The Best Portable Power Stations for Backup and Off-Grid Power Be prepared for unexpected power failures and off-the-grid camping trips. Read More A High-Capacity Power Station Built for Emergencies With advanced features, a bevy of expandable output options, and a near-perfect mobile app, it’s a strong contender. Read More Six Shipwrecks Discovered in One Stunning Find The wrecks were dated from the 17th century to as old as the medieval era. Read More Need Assistance? Contact Us. Follow Us Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Popular Mechanics is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2026 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779