Vomiting bumblebees show that sweeter is not necessarily better.

August 11, 2020

Animal pollinators support the production of three-quarters of the world’s food crops, and many flowers produce nectar to reward the pollinators. A new study using bumblebees has found that the sweetest nectar is not necessarily the best: too much sugar slows down the bees. The results will inform breeding efforts to make crops more attractive … More Vomiting bumblebees show that sweeter is not necessarily better.

Bumblebees are in drastic decline across Europe and North America owing to hotter and more frequent extremes in temperatures, scientists say.

August 8, 2020

A study suggests the likelihood of a bumblebee population surviving in any given place has declined by 30% in the course of a single human generation. The researchers say the rates of decline appear to be “consistent with a mass extinction”. Peter Soroye, a PhD student at the University of Ottawa and the study’s lead author, said: … More Bumblebees are in drastic decline across Europe and North America owing to hotter and more frequent extremes in temperatures, scientists say.

Prescribed burns benefit bees.

August 4, 2020

Freshly burned longleaf pine forests have more than double the total number of bees and bee species than similar forests that have not burned in over 50 years, according to new research from North Carolina State University. For many forests, fire is as essential as rainfall. But while several studies have outlined the benefits of human-controlled prescribed burns on … More Prescribed burns benefit bees.

Dance of the honey bee reveals fondness for strawberries.

August 1, 2020

Bees are pollinators of many wild and crop plants, but in many places their diversity and density is declining. A research team from the Universities of Göttingen, Sussex and Würzburg has now investigated the foraging behaviour of bees in agricultural landscapes. To do this, the scientists analysed the bees’ dances, which are called the “waggle dance.” They found out that honey … More Dance of the honey bee reveals fondness for strawberries.

One in 11 flowers carries disease-causing parasites known to contribute to bee declines, according to a new study that identifies how flowers act as hubs for transmitting diseases to bees and other pollinators.

July 28, 2020

The study, published July 20 in Nature Ecology and Evolution, also found that one in eight individual bees had at least one parasite. The study was conducted in field sites in upstate New York, where the researchers screened 2,624 flowers from 89 species and 2,672 bees from 110 species for bee parasites through an entire … More One in 11 flowers carries disease-causing parasites known to contribute to bee declines, according to a new study that identifies how flowers act as hubs for transmitting diseases to bees and other pollinators.

BREAKING NEWS: This year’s bee die-off numbers were just reported.

June 26, 2020

They show beekeepers lost 44 percent of their colonies. This makes 2019 the second-worst year for bees since the surveys started almost 15 years ago.   Bees pollinate 75% of our food crops. With their populations rapidly declining — largely thanks to toxic pesticides — we need all hands on deck to protect them and other … More BREAKING NEWS: This year’s bee die-off numbers were just reported.

Bees are dying at alarming rates, jeopardizing not only our food supply but our own survival.

June 23, 2020

Our planet’s ecosystems rely heavily on insects, but if the global insect die-off continues at this rate, there might not be any insects left 100 years from now. One of the main drivers of this destruction? Pesticides.   And this year marks the 10th year in a row where multiple states have used an EPA loophole to spray bee-killing … More Bees are dying at alarming rates, jeopardizing not only our food supply but our own survival.

Bees grooming each other can boost colony immunity.

June 19, 2020

Honeybees that specialise in grooming their nestmates (allogroomers) to ward off pests play a central role in the colony, finds a new UCL and University of Florence study. Allogroomer bees also appear to have stronger immune systems, possibly enabling them to withstand their higher risk of infection, according to the findings published in Scientific Reports. Ectoparasites … More Bees grooming each other can boost colony immunity.

Bees? Please. These plants are putting ants to work, as well.

June 16, 2020

In a world first, Edith Cowan University (ECU) researchers have discovered a plant that has successfully evolved to use both native bees as well as ants– as pollinating agents by overcoming their antimicrobial defences. ECU PhD student Nicola Delnevo discovered the trait in a group of shrubs found in the Swan Coastal Plain in Western … More Bees? Please. These plants are putting ants to work, as well.

Blue Bee Feared to Be Extinct Is Found in Florida.

June 1, 2020

First discovered in 2011, the rare species reappeared recently after nearly a decade of eluding scientists’ watch The indigo insect was last spotted in central Florida in 2016, five years after it was first identified. But this spring, just as Americans began to hunker down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rare blue bees, known scientifically as Osmia calaminthae, were rediscovered … More Blue Bee Feared to Be Extinct Is Found in Florida.