Category: bees

First map of bee species, common and rare, around the globe.

January 31, 2021

There are over 20,000 species of bee, but accurate data about how these species are spread across the globe are sparse. However, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on November 19 have created a map of bee diversity by combining the most complete global checklist of known bee species with the almost 6 million additional public … More First map of bee species, common and rare, around the globe.

Bee neighborly — sharing bees helps more farmers.

January 22, 2021

Many farmers are used to sharing big equipment — like tractors and other costly machinery — with neighboring farms. Sharing cuts costs, lowers the farmer’s debt load, and increases community wellbeing. But big machinery might not be the only opportunity for farmers to reap the benefits of cost-sharing with their neighbors. New research suggests that … More Bee neighborly — sharing bees helps more farmers.

Wild Bees Are Worth $1.5 Billion for Six U.S. Crops.

January 3, 2021

Study also finds that crop yields are often limited by a lack of pollinators. A new study finds that the yields of major crops in the United States are frequentlylimited by a lack of pollinators. The study also highlighted the value of America’s wild bees, estimating they boost yields for six of the country’s seven major cropsexamined in … More Wild Bees Are Worth $1.5 Billion for Six U.S. Crops.

Holding Corporations Accountable as Pollinator Die-off Accelerates And its Just the Bees which are at Dire Risk.

December 14, 2020

The numbers are in from this season’s butterfly count: once in the millions, now there are only 29,000 western monarch butterflies left in California. That’s a 99% population decline of these essential pollinators. And we’re not only losing monarchs — 40% of invertebrate pollinators, including the honeybees, are on the brink of extinction. If we … More Holding Corporations Accountable as Pollinator Die-off Accelerates And its Just the Bees which are at Dire Risk.

Honey bees fend off giant hornets with animal feces. Honeybees spread animal dung on the entrance of their hives to effectively ward off giant hornets.

December 11, 2020

What’s the best way to ward off giant hornets if you’re a honeybee? Animal dung, according to a first-ever University of Guelph study. U of G researchers have discovered honeybees in Vietnam collect and apply spots of animal dung around hive entrances to deter deadly nest raids by an Asian hornet (Vespa soror) whose North American … More Honey bees fend off giant hornets with animal feces. Honeybees spread animal dung on the entrance of their hives to effectively ward off giant hornets.

Hair spacing keeps honeybees clean during pollination. Researchers quantify the cleaning process.

December 8, 2020

With honeybee colony health wavering and researchers trying to find technological ways of pollinating plants in the future, a new Georgia Tech study has looked at how the insects do their job and manage to stay clean. According to the study, a honeybee can carry up to 30 percent of its body weight in pollen because of the strategic … More Hair spacing keeps honeybees clean during pollination. Researchers quantify the cleaning process.

New tool improves beekeepers’ overwintering odds and bottom line.

October 20, 2020

A new tool from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) can predict the odds that honey bee colonies overwintered in cold storage will be large enough to rent for almond pollination in February. Identifying which colonies will not be worth spending dollars to overwinter can improve beekeepers’ bottom line. Beekeepers have been losing an average of 30 percent of overwintered … More New tool improves beekeepers’ overwintering odds and bottom line.

‘Intensive’ beekeeping not to blame for common bee diseases.

September 8, 2020

More “intensive” beekeeping does not raise the risk of diseases that harm or kill the insects, new research suggests. Intensive agriculture — where animals or plants are kept crowded together in very high densities — is thought to result in higher rates of disease spreading. But researchers from the University of Exeter and the University … More ‘Intensive’ beekeeping not to blame for common bee diseases.

Bees underwent massive extinctions at the same time as the dinosaurs.

August 22, 2020

For the first time ever, scientists have documented a widespread extinction of bees that occurred 65 million years ago, concurrent with the massive event that wiped out land dinosaurs and many flowering plants. Their findings, published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, could shed light on the current decline in bee species. Lead author Sandra … More Bees underwent massive extinctions at the same time as the dinosaurs.

The numbers are in: Beekeepers faced their second highest losses in 14 years this past year.

August 14, 2020

The situation is dire with massive bee die offs — largely thanks to the continued use of bee-killing pesticides. Thankfully, the Saving America’s Pollinators Act (SAPA) would put a stop to these toxic chemicals. Scientists have warned that further decline of bees and other insects could lead us to a “collapse of nature’s ecosystems.” Currently, 40 percent of wild bees and other … More The numbers are in: Beekeepers faced their second highest losses in 14 years this past year.