Bee buzzes could help determine how to save their decreasing population

According to recent studies, declines in wild and managed bee populations threaten the pollination of flowers in more than 85 percent of flowering plants and 75 percent of agricultural crops worldwide. Widespread and effective monitoring of bee populations could lead to better management; however, tracking bees is tricky and costly. Now, a research team led … More Bee buzzes could help determine how to save their decreasing population

A Frightening Review of Recent Chemical Company Megamergers, Not to Mention the Thousands of Lawsuits Against the Tragic Effects

MARC STEINER: In 2016 I covered the battle by farmers and environmentalists to stop Bayer and Monsanto from merging into one company. The Department of Justice just ruled that the merger of these two corporate giants could take place. You know the name Bayer as aspirin. You might take an Aleve now and then for your … More A Frightening Review of Recent Chemical Company Megamergers, Not to Mention the Thousands of Lawsuits Against the Tragic Effects

Bee diversity and richness decline as anthropogenic activity increases, scientists confirm

Changes in land use negatively affect bee species richness and diversity, and cause major shifts in species composition, reports a recent study of native wild bees, conducted at the Sierra de Quila Flora and Fauna Protection Area and its influence zone in Mexico. Having registered a total of 14,054 individual bees representing 160 species, 52 … More Bee diversity and richness decline as anthropogenic activity increases, scientists confirm

Think about bees, say researchers, as Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument Shrinks

Monument’s original boundaries are a hotspot of pollinator biodiversity. The state of Utah’s nickname is “The Beehive State,” and the moniker couldn’t be more apt, say Utah State University scientists. One out of every four bee species in the United States is found In Utah and the arid, western state is home to more bee … More Think about bees, say researchers, as Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument Shrinks

Harnessing the Power of Vaccines to Benefit Bees

Vaccines are one of humanity’s greatest medical breakthroughs—ridding the world of smallpox, limiting outbreaks of mumps and measles and putting polio on the ropes. Now, reports Bill Chapell at NPR, researchers are hoping to harness the power of vaccines for the first time to help honeybees, which are currently being bombarded by a long list of threats. … More Harnessing the Power of Vaccines to Benefit Bees

Bees on the brink

Pesticide exposure can dramatically impact bees’ social behaviors, study shows, For bees, being social is everything. Whether it’s foraging for food, caring for the young, using their bodies to generate heat or to fan the nest, or building and repairing nests, a bee colony does just about everything as a single unit. While recent studies … More Bees on the brink