Month: March 2021

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.