Category: SavetheBees

THEY DANCE AND MAY EVEN DREAM :SIX FASCINATING THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT HONEYBEES.

December 27, 2020

Honeybees don’t mean to sacrifice themselves. Like the pain inflicted by a bee sting, most of us are familiar with the “fact” that they sacrifice themselves when protecting their hive, dying after they sting. The truth is, honeybees aren’t that selfless. Their stingers developed millions of years ago — long before mammals evolved — as an effective weapon … More THEY DANCE AND MAY EVEN DREAM :SIX FASCINATING THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT HONEYBEES.

Agri-giant Dow’s dangerous pesticide, chlorpyrifos, has serious negative effects on the health of our bees, not to mention the health of our children.

December 24, 2020

The toxic chemical is all over the fruits and veggies our kids are eating. Even in small doses chlorpyrifos can irreversibly impact children’s as well as bees’ brain development and hormonal systems. Scientists have linked it to developmental delays in children and working memory loss. Now, Health Canada is deciding whether to allow Dow’s dangerous chemical in our farmers’ fields and they … More Agri-giant Dow’s dangerous pesticide, chlorpyrifos, has serious negative effects on the health of our bees, not to mention the health of our children.

Radar tracking reveals how bees develop a route between flowers.

December 20, 2020

As bees gain foraging experience they continually refine both the order in which they visit flowers and the flight paths they take between flowers to generate better and better routes, according to researchers at Queen Mary University of London. Despite this, bees can be tricked into taking tempting shortcuts between flowers even at the cost … More Radar tracking reveals how bees develop a route between flowers.

Sugar-poor diets wreak havoc on bumblebee queens’ health. Without enough sugar in their diets, bumblebee queens can experience difficulty reproducing and shorter lifespans.

December 17, 2020

Hollis Woodard, assistant professor of entomology at UCR, has conducted multiple studies showing how loss of plant availability negatively affects the prolific pollinators. Previous research indicates a queen’s diet can impact how quickly her brood develops, or whether she’s able to live through hibernation. In a study published today, Woodard and her team demonstrate that … More Sugar-poor diets wreak havoc on bumblebee queens’ health. Without enough sugar in their diets, bumblebee queens can experience difficulty reproducing and shorter lifespans.

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.

Honeybees infect wild bumblebees through shared flowers. Domestic beehives linked to spike in viral infections in nearby bumblebee populations.

December 3, 2020

Many species of wild bumblebees are in decline — and new research shows that diseases spread by domestic honeybees may be a major culprit. Several of the viruses associated with bumblebees’ trouble are moving from managed bees in apiaries to nearby populations of wild bumblebees — “and we show this spillover is likely occurring through … More Honeybees infect wild bumblebees through shared flowers. Domestic beehives linked to spike in viral infections in nearby bumblebee populations.

Honeybees pick up ‘astonishing’ number of pesticides via non-crop plants.

November 24, 2020

A Purdue University study shows that honeybees collect the vast majority of their pollen from plants other than crops, even in areas dominated by corn and soybeans, and that pollen is consistently contaminated with a host of agricultural and urban pesticides throughout the growing season. Christian Krupke, professor of entomology, and then-postdoctoral researcher Elizabeth Long … More Honeybees pick up ‘astonishing’ number of pesticides via non-crop plants.

Pesticides may cause bumblebees to lose their buzz, study finds.

November 19, 2020

Pesticides significantly reduce the number of pollen grains a bumblebee is able to collect, a new University of Stirling study has found. The research, conducted by a team in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, found that field-realistic doses of a neonicotinoid pesticide affects the behaviour of bees — ultimately interfering with the type of vibrations … More Pesticides may cause bumblebees to lose their buzz, study finds.