Articles tagged with Bees
Researchers found that bees' habits don't match current organic certification guidelines, which require a 6.4 kilometer buffer zone for foraging. The study suggests that revised standards could allow US producers to meet USDA organic certification requirements with pesticide contamination levels comparable to imported honeys.
Researchers at Oregon State University developed a low-cost, semi-automated camera system using AI to monitor bumblebee populations and other insects. The system recorded six species of bumblebees, closely matching those documented through traditional methods, and identified them automatically using custom-built deep learning models.
Researchers found that queen pheromones inhibit daughters' ovarian development during a critical stage of development, while also indicating the queen's reproductive health, leading to more likely retention of helpers. This study provides new insights into how cooperation evolved in insect societies.
Researchers found that bee venom can improve motor function and cognitive decline in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease when used alongside conventional therapy. The study suggests promising benefits for developing adjunct therapies to improve treatment outcomes.
A team of scientists has identified a key gene that determines which tasks bees perform in their colony, and by manipulating this gene, they can selectively inhibit neural circuits to control behavior. The study reveals that inhibiting specific brain areas activates other neural circuits, allowing for age-dependent task organization.
Researchers found that providing honeybees with prebiotics and probiotics helped them survive thermal stress. The study suggests these nutritional supplements can buffer the survival of bees and improve antioxidant enzyme activity.
Research shows that road verges with heavy traffic can be deadly for bumblebees, while those with low traffic have a mortality rate of near zero. The study suggests investing in species-rich road verges may not replace traditional conservation habitats.
Researchers analyzed DNA samples from foraging honeybees, hive workers, and their honey to understand plant-microbe interactions in honeybee ecology. The study found that these complementary sources provide distinct insights into the complex relationships between plants, microbes, and honeybees.
Research found bumblebees accumulate higher levels of toxic metals in bodies and pollen, affecting foraging efficiency, navigation, and reproductive success. The study highlights the vulnerability of bumblebees to metal pollution, even in relatively safe areas.
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that bumblebees display observable 'liking and disliking' behaviours after consuming different liquids. This suggests that insects can evaluate tastes as pleasant or unpleasant, pushing the understanding of their inner life.
Researchers found that honeybee queens will take up and pass on pesticide contamination to their eggs when worker bees can no longer filter out the toxins. This process, called maternal offloading, allows the queen to shield herself from harm but may also harm her offspring.
A study from Hiroshima University identifies enhancer sequences active during worker bee metamorphosis, revealing key genetic mechanisms regulating social caste development in honeybees. The research provides direct evidence of transcription factor binding sites and sheds light on the evolution of honeybee sociality.
Researchers at Georgia Tech found that sulfoxaflor disrupts bee reproduction and gene expression, leading to reduced reproductive output. The study sheds light on the molecular effects of pesticides on bees and highlights a pressing challenge in agriculture.
A new study reveals that bees can adjust their feeding to avoid over-consuming certain essential nutrients. The findings suggest that honeybees make a specialist 'baby food' that gives their larvae a better-balanced diet, and that pollen mixing and processing by nurse bees may help overcome nutritional limitations.
A new study reveals that honeybees can evaluate the reliability of their communication and adjust their dance vigor accordingly. Bees with verified, honest information increase their recruitment effort over time when advertising a new location, while unverified bees do not.
Honeybee queens are created through an elaborate process involving young worker bees constructing customized wax chambers with unique physical and chemical properties. Researchers identified a previously unrecognized class of young worker bees dubbed 'queen cell builders' that appear uniquely adapted for the task.
A new study reveals that worker bumble bees play a crucial role in determining the sex of baby bees, with juvenile hormone being the key trigger. The researchers found that when workers were treated with the hormone, they passed it to larvae through food, making them more likely to become queens.
A UK-based National Honey Monitoring Scheme has collected data from over 3,500 beekeepers, revealing insights into environmental changes, invasive species, and pesticide risks. The study identified over 800 plant species used by honeybees, providing a valuable resource for monitoring pollinator activity.
Research found that Western honey bees and myrtle rust fungus have formed an invasional mutualism, where the fungus is nutritious for bees. The fungus remains viable in beehives for over a week, potentially spreading human-assisted to other areas.
New research finds that higher temperatures can benefit bumble bees with underground nests by allowing them to spend more time foraging, but may devastate those with aboveground nests due to increased cooling costs. The benefits appear to outweigh the costs, but just a few damaging hours of extreme heat could set a colony back.
A team of Cornell researchers has discovered a massive aggregation of ground-nesting bees, estimated to be over 5.5 million individual bees, in the East Lawn Cemetery. The discovery highlights the importance of these solitary bees as agricultural pollinators and adds credence to claims that cemeteries serve as preserves of biodiversity.
Researchers at DTU have developed a new method to identify bacteria capable of producing vitamin B2 in soya drinks. A bacterium from bumblebee guts was found to thrive in plant-based dairy alternatives and produce the nutrient in high quantities.
A new study from UC Riverside shows that a locally adapted population of SoCal honeybees can naturally suppress deadly mites. The hybrid bees are less susceptible to Varroa mite infestations and cross-thresholds, making them more resistant than commercial breeds.
A new study from Michigan State University finds that isolated honey bees experience a rapid hormonal rise when exposed to high temperatures, while those in groups remain stable. The discovery highlights the role of social conditions and chemical signals in shaping bees' ability to withstand environmental stress.
A recent study found that wild bumblebees are the key hosts for acute bee paralysis virus, not honeybees. This discovery could inform policies to curb disease spread in nature and highlights the importance of diverse food sources and flower strips to minimize infection risk.
A study by University of California, Berkeley biologists found detectable alcohol in at least one flower of 26 of the 29 species of plants tested. Hummingbirds and other animals consume small doses throughout the day without apparent effects, but may metabolize ethanol like mammals do.
A recent study on honey bees' waggle dance reveals that the dance's precision is influenced by audience size and composition. When there are more observers, dancers become less precise, suggesting that the performer adjusts its movements to engage with a larger crowd, ultimately conveying critical information about food sources.
A new study reveals that the honey bee waggle dance is a dynamic, two-way interaction shaped by its audience, contradicting the traditional view of unidirectional information flow. Researchers manipulated the number of potential observers to test how dancers adjust their behavior based on the availability of appropriately aged bees.
Researchers found that honey bees change the precision of their waggle dance depending on the size and composition of their audience. The dancers adjust their movements to search for a receptive crowd, resulting in less precise signals when few bees are present.
Researchers at Kyoto University discovered that bees favor flowers with early visitors over color, even when the latter has an initial disadvantage. This finding indicates that social information plays a crucial role in pollinator choice, and flowers that secure early visitors may gain a lasting advantage.
The Hubland Campus of the University of Würzburg is a rich habitat for 170 species of wild bees, with 31 species listed as endangered. Targeted measures, such as a hymenoptera garden and sustainable mowing, have created a species-rich and ecologically important environment for pollinators.
Researchers found that village habitats, such as green spaces and fallow land, support a wide variety of insects, including wild bees. Native wildflowers like Knautia and Cirsium are valuable resources for pollinators. Tips for gardeners include using pollinator-friendly plants and allowing vegetation to grow without frequent mowing.
Research reveals hygienic honey bees have enhanced innate immune responses and increased survival when infected with Nosema ceranae, a widespread adult bee pathogen. This discovery offers a promising avenue for strengthening bee health through selective breeding.
A University of Sydney-led study found that honey made from mixed floral sources has superior performance against bacteria, with high levels of bioactive compounds. The findings could help develop new treatments for drug-resistant infections while supporting bushfire recovery and sustainable beekeeping practices.
The Safeguard project, which aimed to expand understanding of declining wild pollinators, has come to an end. The project delivered a comprehensive reassessment of European wild pollinator trends and developed an integrated assessment framework to guide evidence-based management.
Researchers shed light on moths & butterflies' evolution, conservation needs, and diverse feeding habits. Discoveries suggest that these insects obtained plant-digesting abilities from fungi, while mandibled moths were once more diverse but largely extinct.
A study published in the Journal of Apicultural Research found that combining a widely used mite-killing pesticide with an agent inhibiting its tolerance can effectively control varroa mites. The new treatment increases amitraz's killing power by 50% and shows promise for developing novel synergists to target these destructive mites.
Researchers have developed a new method to map the location of honey bee 'dance floors,' where forager bees perform waggle dances. This method allows for accurate quantification and comparison of waggle dance regions, enabling better understanding of honey bee communication.
Researchers tracked individual honey bees to record high-resolution flight paths in natural landscapes, revealing precise navigation and unique routes. Visual landmarks aid the bees' navigation, increasing the precision of their flight paths.
Scientists have identified specific patterns of brain chemical activity in honey bees that predict how quickly individual bees learn new associations. The findings may help explain why humans learn at different speeds and provide implications for understanding brain disorders.
A new study finds that viral presence in wild bees is linked to floral communities and landscape-level resource availability. Researchers discovered that certain flower communities increase the likelihood of viruses and that flowers can serve as hubs for virus transmission between wild bees and honey bees.
Researchers analyzed solitary mason bee gut metagenomes to understand how urban environments shape diet, microbiome stability, pathogen exposure, and antibiotic resistance. The study found that bees' gut ecosystems containing both bacteria and viruses are more resilient than bacteria-only communities.
A team of biologists discovered a genetic factor that determines the begging behaviour of drones in bees, allowing them to obtain essential proteins from worker bees. The 'fruitless' or 'Fru' protein regulates this complex social behaviour and influences a neural network of around 1,800 neurons.
Researchers found thousands of hutia fossils in a Caribbean cave, including nests made from compacted soil and coated with a waxy substance. The discovery provides evidence of the presence of bees in the area thousands of years ago, challenging initial findings on wasp nests.
A study analyzed 679 honey samples from Italy and found that 98% contained at least one bee pathogen. This analysis may provide clues to bees' health, highlighting the need for further research on bee health.
A new study in Botswana explores the effectiveness of bee-sound barriers in deterring elephants from raiding crops. While results show a positive reaction from some elephants, differences in response rates between Botswana and other countries suggest context-specific factors are at play.
A monitoring system devised by the University of Córdoba uses AI algorithms to predict flowering stages with high precision. This allows beekeepers to optimize their harvesting times and reduce losses, as well as track health issues and other potential problems without visiting the apiary.
In a study by Michelle Miner at UC Riverside, bumble bees were found to avoid foraging near ant colonies due to the risk of being bitten. However, aggressive bees who fought back were victorious in individual fights but may ultimately harm their colony by wasting energy.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have shown that bumblebees can be trained to differentiate between long and short light flashes, which was previously observed only in humans and other vertebrates. This ability allows the bees to decide where to forage for food based on visual cues.
A new native bee species named Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer has been discovered in the Bremer Range region of Western Australia. The striking bee was found visiting both an endangered wildflower and a nearby mallee tree, and its discovery highlights the importance of understanding native bees before their habitats are disturbed.
A team of researchers has identified a common sex-determining gene called ANTSR in both bees and ants, revealing a conserved mechanism that has been present for over 150 million years. This finding sheds light on the genetic basis of sex determination in these species and may have implications for bee conservation and breeding programs.
Researchers found that common viral infections shrink a queen's ovaries, reducing egg-laying capacity and methyl oleate production. This reduction triggers worker bees to prepare a new queen, which can lead to colony instability and economic losses for beekeepers.
A study found that honey bees collect similar pollen diversity regardless of surrounding agricultural land use, but with low pesticide levels. The results suggest that bees may thrive in intensively farmed landscapes by flying greater distances to find food.
A new study found that fire can have varying impacts on global bee populations, with some species thriving in post-fire conditions and others declining or disappearing. The review highlights the need for tailored fire management strategies to support biodiversity, particularly in Australia's unique ecosystems.
Insect pollinators like bees and butterflies require more natural habitat with diverse flora to thrive, according to a new study analyzing over 178,000 individual pollinators from 19 countries. The research found minimum habitat requirements vary between species, ranging from 6% for hoverflies to 37% for butterflies.
A recent study found that genetic variants associated with social behavior in honey bees are also linked to social behavior in humans. Researchers used genome sequencing, brain gene expression analysis, and behavioral observations to investigate the genetic mechanisms underpinning variation in social behavior in western honey bees.
A study found that ants can scare away pollinators like bees when defending plants with extrafloral nectaries, which are secretions that attract ants but not pollinators. However, plants with these glands on other locations had increased reproductive success.
A study by the University of Kansas found that cellophane bees are specially equipped to handle cold temperatures and can recover from 'chill coma' twice as quickly as honeybees. These solitary bees are vital pollinators in early spring ecosystems, but their limited lifespan makes them harder to commercialize.
Honeybees use various strategies to build hives that accommodate different space constraints, including merging cells, tilting borders and layering combs. Researchers observed these adaptations using X-ray microscopy and found that the bees' behavior is intuitive and physics-based.
A long-term field study found that wild bumble bees strategically target flowers to balance their diet, adjusting their consumption of protein, fat, and carbs based on tongue length and seasonal flower availability. This nuanced approach allows them to thrive together and maintain strong colonies.