Category: Colony Collapse Disorder

Ball-rolling bees reveal complex learning

March 28, 2017

Bumblebees can be trained to score goals using a mini-ball, revealing unprecedented learning abilities, according to scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Their study, published in the journal Science, suggests that species whose lifestyle demands advanced learning abilities could learn entirely new behaviours if there is ecological pressure. Project supervisor and co-author Professor … More Ball-rolling bees reveal complex learning

Nutrition matters: Stress from migratory beekeeping may be eased by access to food

October 28, 2016

In the first large-scale and comprehensive study on the impacts of transporting honey bees to pollinate various crops, North Carolina State University research shows that travel can adversely affect bee health and lifespan. Some of these negative impacts may be reduced by moving bee colonies into patches with readily available food or by providing supplemental … More Nutrition matters: Stress from migratory beekeeping may be eased by access to food

Loss of wild insects hurts crops around the world

October 26, 2016

Researchers from the University of Calgary studying data from 600 fields in 20 countries have found that managed honey bees are not as successful at pollinating crops as wild insects, primarily wild bees, suggesting the continuing loss of wild insects in many agricultural landscapes has negative consequences for crop harvests. Lawrence Harder, University of Calgary … More Loss of wild insects hurts crops around the world

Making a home for Leaf-cutter bees

September 21, 2016

Suzanne Rex, a volunteer assistant at the Bumblebee Conservation, England, has had her eyes opened to the huge diversity and importance of pollinators in our world. One group of bees which she finds particularly interesting are Leaf-cutter bees and here she writes about them. Leaf-cutter bee (Megachile sp.) in a nest. Photo: Anne Donelly”As well … More Making a home for Leaf-cutter bees

Honeybee hive collapse mystery rooted in hive size

March 1, 2016

Scientists are working to understand a baffling but vitally important puzzle: What is causing the decline of honeybees? A new mathematical model demonstrates vulnerability of hives with too few bees. The model indicates that any or all suspected environmental factors, alone or in combination, could lead to hive collapse by destabilizing a hive’s adult bee … More Honeybee hive collapse mystery rooted in hive size