A couple of years ago, master’s student Janean Sharkey was stumped when she couldn’t identify six of the bees she collected from a park in Windsor, Ontario. Little did she know, it was because these bees had never been spotted before in Canada.

March 15, 2021

  “When I was trying to identify this group … it wasn’t making much sense to me,” said Sharkey, who attends the University of Guelph’s school of environmental sciences.  Eventually, she realized that the insect she was looking at under her microscope was the hibiscus or chimney bee — formally known as Ptilothrix bombiformis. The bee species is an … More A couple of years ago, master’s student Janean Sharkey was stumped when she couldn’t identify six of the bees she collected from a park in Windsor, Ontario. Little did she know, it was because these bees had never been spotted before in Canada.

I see you: Honey bees use contagious and honest visual signal to deter attacking hornets

March 12, 2021

Study is the first to demonstrate a contagious warning signal that resists fake news in social insects. An Asian hornet sets its sights on a busy honey bee hive. If all goes according to plan, the hornet’s attack will result in a haul of bee larvae, precious nourishment to pilfer and feed to its own … More I see you: Honey bees use contagious and honest visual signal to deter attacking hornets

Male honey bees inject queens with blinding toxins during sex.

March 9, 2021

They say love is blind, but if you’re a queen honeybee it could mean true loss of sight. New research finds male honeybees inject toxins during sex that cause temporary blindness. All sexual activity occurs during a brief early period in a honeybee’s life, during which males die and queens can live for many years without ever … More Male honey bees inject queens with blinding toxins during sex.

Climate Change Is Making Allergy Season Worse.

March 6, 2021

New research finds climate change is making allergy season arrive earlier and bring higher pollen loads in North America.  The phenomenon of increasing yearly pollen loads is accelerating. Human-caused climate change is making allergy season longer and more severe, reports Seth Borenstein for the AssociatedPress. In North America, there is now 21 percent more pollen … More Climate Change Is Making Allergy Season Worse.

Why plant diversity is so important for bee diversity.

March 3, 2021

Delicate balance of energy efficiency and flower morphology are key to co-existence between honey bees and bumblebees. As abundant and widespread bees, it is common to see both bumble bees and honey bees foraging on the same flower species during the summer, whether in Britain or many other countries. Yet researchers at the Laboratory of Apiculture … More Why plant diversity is so important for bee diversity.

Pesticides impair baby bee brain development.

February 27, 2021

Imperial College London researchers used micro-CT scanning technology to reveal how specific parts of bumblebee brains grew abnormally when exposed to pesticides during their larval phase. Most previous studies have tested the effects of pesticide exposure on adult bees because these individuals directly collect pesticide-contaminated nectar and pollen. However, this study shows that baby bees … More Pesticides impair baby bee brain development.

Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression.

February 24, 2021

A new study led by Illinois professor of entomology May Berenbaum shows that some components of the nectar and pollen grains bees collect to manufacture food increase expression of detoxification genes that help keep honey bees healthy. Research in the wake of Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious malady afflicting (primarily commercial) honey bees, suggests that … More Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression.

Brexit rules mean 15 million baby bees may be seized and burned, says beekeeper.

February 21, 2021

Patrick Murfet says he tried to import bees via Northern Ireland but was told they would be destroyed. A beekeeper trying to bring 15 million bees into the UK says he has been told they must be seized and burned because of post-Brexit laws.  Murfet wants to import the baby Italian bees for his Kent business and … More Brexit rules mean 15 million baby bees may be seized and burned, says beekeeper.

Native bees under threat from growing urbanization.

February 18, 2021

Residential gardens are a poor substitute for native bushland and increasing urbanization is a growing threat when it comes to bees, Curtin University research has found. Published in ‘Urban Ecosystems’, the research looked at bee visits to flowers, which form pollination networks across different native bushland and home garden habitats. Lead author, Forrest Foundation Scholar Miss Kit Prendergast, … More Native bees under threat from growing urbanization.

France mulls reintroduction of neonicotinoids, faces backlash from NGOs and Germany.

February 15, 2021

Debates are currently well underway in France over the re-authorisation of neonicotinoids, a controversial class of pesticides, to save its sugar beet industry. The issue is causing quite a stir both at home and across the Rhine. EURACTIV France reports. The issue of the re-authorisation of neonicotinoid insecticides was tackled by France’s national council for ecological … More France mulls reintroduction of neonicotinoids, faces backlash from NGOs and Germany.