Lexi Gauger - Research

Research

My research interests broadly include pollination ecology, pollinator health and nutrition, and agroecology. My dissertation work so far has adapted the "mesotunnel" pest exclusion system into an enclosure system to manipulate bumble bees' floral diets in a field-realistic setting. I am investigating questions of floral diet diversity versus floral species identity for bee health, facilitation versus competition for crop pollination services in diversified agroecosystems, and multifunctionality and practicality of on-farm pollinator conservation methods. I am also developing "colony health indices" as an analytical method to synthesize and summarize the overall health status of bumble bees at the colony-level (see publication in Journal of Pollination Ecology).

Publications

In preparation

Lexi Gauger and David Gonthier. Effectiveness of on-farm conservation methods for pollinator support and pollination services: a review. In preparation.

Lexi Gauger, Kathleen Fiske Pulliam, Yuuki Cherian, and David Gonthier. Floral resource diversification improves bumble bee colony health in cucurbit agroecosystems. In preparation.

In review

Kathleen Fiske Pulliam, Robert Brockman, Chelsea Avery, Lexi Gauger, Mark Williams, Ricardo Bessin, and David Gonthier. Balancing row cover pest and pollination management in organic cucurbit production. 2025. In revision for Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.

In press

Lexi Gauger, Kathleen Fiske Pulliam, Yuuki Cherian, Mateo Garcia, Benjamin Morrison, and David Gonthier. 2025. Bumble bee colony health is diminished in a mesotunnel enclosure planted with a cucurbit monoculture crop. Journal of Pollination Ecology. https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2025)859

Ryan Kuesel, Chelsea Avery, Sarah Jones, Alexis Gauger, Delia Scott, and David Gonthier. Exclusion barriers reduce Drosophila suzukii infestation and improve fall-bearing red raspberry yields. 2023. Journal of Economic Entomology, 116(5): 1727-1736. doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad151

Gonzalez, J., Gonthier, D., Pethybridge, S., Bessin, R., Nair, A., Zhang, W., Cheng, N., Fiske, K., Gauger, A., Damann, K., Murphy, S., Badilla, S., Mphande, K., and Gleason, M. 2023. Mesotunnels for organic management of cucurbit pests and diseases: tips for growers. NCPA 038, North Central IPM Center. 8 pp.

Kenton Sena, Lexi Gauger, Trinity Johnson, Felicity Shirkey, William Caldbeck, Jansen Hammock, Ashley Kim, Bella Mazza, Isabelle Pethtel, and Wendy Leuenberger. Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) presence is associated with reduced diversity and richness of flowering spring flora in central Kentucky. 2021. Natural Areas Journal, 41(4): 249-257. doi.org/10.3375/20-41

Academic presentations

Ohio Valley Entomological Association Conference, October 2025

Contributed talk: Novel mesocosm system reveals relationships between floral diversification, bee colony health, and pollination services

Ecological Society of America Conference, August 2025

Contributed talk: Novel mesocosm system reveals relationships between floral diversification, bee colony health, and pollination services

Entomological Society of America Conference, November 2024

Invited talk: Using a novel mesocosm system to reveal effects of floral diversification on bumble bee colony-level health

University of Kentucky Entomology Department Seminar, October 2023

Proposal seminar: Does floral diversification impact bee colony health and services?

Poster presentations

Tomas Sanchez-Villalobos poster presentation, December 2024

Tomas, an undergraduate student whom I mentored, created a poster titled "Comparing analysis methods and pollen foraging in bumble bees" based on his independent research project, and presented it at our lab meeting.

People's Summit on Food Systems and Urban Agriculture, Louisville, KY, September 2024

Poster presentation: Floral resource diversity improves bee colony health without affecting crop yield

University of Kentucky Entomology Department Retreat, August 2024

Poster presentation: Floral resource diversity improves bee colony health without affecting crop yield

Marbleseed Organic Conference, La Crosse, WI, February 2023

Poster presentation: Foraging environment and floral diversity affects reproductive success in commercial B. impatiens colonies

University of Kentucky Entomology Department Retreat, August 2022

Poster presentation: Foraging environment and floral diversity affects reproductive success in commercial B. impatiens colonies

Grant writing

Southern SARE Graduate Student Grant, May 2025

"Applying Flowering Cover Crop Furrows for Pollinator Health and Weed Suppression in Cucurbit Agroecosystems," $22,000 (in review)

USDA-NIFA Predoctoral Fellowship, November 2024

"Floral resource diversification affects pollinator health and crop yield in cucurbit agroecosystems," $180,000 (in review)

The Food Connection Student Opportunity Grant, May 2024

"Affirming mutual goals of pollinator health and pollination services in sustainable agroecosystems," $7,500 (fully funded)

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, March 2023

"Resource diversity creates trade-offs between B. impatiens colony health and pollination ecosystems services," Honorable mention

University of Kentucky Singletary Graduate Fellowship, May 2022

$20,000 (fully funded)

Professional societies

Member, Entomological Society of America

Member, Ecological Society of America

Associate Member, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society

All images and content on this site belong to Lexi Gauger except where otherwise noted. All opinions expressed are personal and do not represent the University of Kentucky.