In the absence of bees, flies are responsible for pollination in the Arctic region.

February 16, 2019

Most of the fauna in the Arctic region take part in pollinating, yet during the busiest flowering weeks, there’s a shortage of such services. A recent study indicates that the pollination services provided to plants and, thus, the plants’ ability to produce seeds are dependent on the timing of the blooming season, and on how … More In the absence of bees, flies are responsible for pollination in the Arctic region.

Common pesticide damages honey bees’ ability to fly

February 8, 2019

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) is harnessed for study on a flight mill in biology professor James Nieh’s laboratory, UC San Diego. Credit: Simone Tosi, UC San Diego Biologists at the University of California San Diego have demonstrated for the first time that a widely used pesticide can significantly impair the ability of otherwise healthy … More Common pesticide damages honey bees’ ability to fly

Can stress management help save honeybees?

January 30, 2019

These are honeybees foraging on sunflower. Credit: F.M. Buian, University of Udine Honeybee populations are clearly under stress–from the parasitic Varroa mite, insecticides, and a host of other factors–but it’s been difficult to pinpoint any one of them as the root cause of devastating and unprecedented losses in honeybee hives. Researchers writing in the Cell Press journal Trends … More Can stress management help save honeybees?

Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have reduced protein in goldenrod pollen, a key late-season food source for North American bees, a Purdue University study shows.

January 21, 2019

Researchers found that the overall protein concentration of goldenrod pollen fell about one-third from the onset of the Industrial Revolution to the beginning of the 21st century. Previous studies have shown that increases in carbon dioxide can lower the nutritional value of plants such as wheat and rice — staple crops for much of the … More Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have reduced protein in goldenrod pollen, a key late-season food source for North American bees, a Purdue University study shows.

Honeybee populations are under attack but the founders of nonprofit HoneyLove believe bees’ best future is in cities. And Save the Bees supports well managed urban groups like HoneyLove.

January 12, 2019

By Daniel B. Wood West Los Angeles, Calif. — Butterflies and hummingbirds flit in the shafts of light behind Chelsea McFarland as she tells a group of about 20 interested volunteers – residents ages 6 to 66 from around this West Los Angeles suburb – what they can do to combat the dramatic worldwide depletion of the … More Honeybee populations are under attack but the founders of nonprofit HoneyLove believe bees’ best future is in cities. And Save the Bees supports well managed urban groups like HoneyLove.

The mushroom dream of a ‘long-haired hippy’ could help save the world’s bees  

January 3, 2019

By EVAN BUSH The Seattle Times SEATTLE—The epiphany that mushrooms could help save the world’s ailing bee colonies struck Paul Stamets while he was in bed. Years ago, in 1984, Stamets had noticed a “continuous convoy of bees” travelling from a patch of mushrooms he was growing and his beehives. The bees actually moved wood chips to … More The mushroom dream of a ‘long-haired hippy’ could help save the world’s bees  

Bumblebee pollinates sunflower

Sunflower pollen has medicinal, protective effects on bees

December 21, 2018

With bee populations in decline, a new study offers hope for a relatively simple mechanism to promote bee health and well-being: providing bees access to sunflowers. The study, conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, showed that two different species of bees fed a diet of sunflower pollen … More Sunflower pollen has medicinal, protective effects on bees