Tag: #ColonyCollapseDisorder

Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression.

February 24, 2021

A new study led by Illinois professor of entomology May Berenbaum shows that some components of the nectar and pollen grains bees collect to manufacture food increase expression of detoxification genes that help keep honey bees healthy. Research in the wake of Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious malady afflicting (primarily commercial) honey bees, suggests that … More Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression.

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.

Sugar-poor diets wreak havoc on bumblebee queens’ health.

November 9, 2020

Flower losses due to shrinking habitats and climate change hurt prime pollinators. Without enough sugar in their diets, bumblebee queens can experience difficulty reproducing and shorter lifespans.   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, … More Sugar-poor diets wreak havoc on bumblebee queens’ health.

U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded. Results point to a need for increased research, extension, and best management practices.

November 4, 2020

Beekeepers across the United States lost 40.7% of their honey bee colonies from April 2018 to April 2019, according to preliminary results of the latest annual nationwide survey conducted by the University of Maryland-led nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership. Honey bees pollinate $15 billion worth of food crops in the United States each year. The survey … More U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded. Results point to a need for increased research, extension, and best management practices.

Environmental groups say the Ontario government is proposing to weaken the province’s restrictions on a class of agricultural pesticides that some scientific studies blame for large declines in the populations of bees and other insects.

August 20, 2020

A coalition that includes Environmental Defence and the Ontario Beekeepers Federation says proposed rule changes for neonicotinoids, or neonics for short, will make it easier for farmers to use them and harder for the government to track them. But the Ontario government, farmer organizations and pesticide manufacturers who support the changes say they would reduce … More Environmental groups say the Ontario government is proposing to weaken the province’s restrictions on a class of agricultural pesticides that some scientific studies blame for large declines in the populations of bees and other insects.

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.

U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded.

April 8, 2020

Results point to a need for increased research, extension, and best management practices. Beekeepers across the United States lost 40.7% of their honey bee colonies from April 2018 to April 2019, according to preliminary results of the latest annual nationwide survey conducted by the University of Maryland-led nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership. Honey bees pollinate $15 billion … More U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded.

Study shows EU pesticide ban failing to protect suburban bees.

February 3, 2020

Bees living in suburban habitats are still being exposed to significant levels of pesticides despite the EU ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on flowering crops, new research from University of Sussex scientists shows. While the introduction of new EU restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid chemicals five years ago has reduced exposure of … More Study shows EU pesticide ban failing to protect suburban bees.

Genomes of parasitic mites harming the world’s bees.

December 5, 2019

Honey bee colony collapse has devastating consequences for the environment, the global economy, and food security worldwide. The culprits behind some of the destruction — parasitic Varroa mites — are just a couple of millimeters in size, and they infiltrate colonies and infect bees with viruses. Yet surprisingly little is known about the mite’s biology. Researchers from … More Genomes of parasitic mites harming the world’s bees.