Articles tagged with Bees
A new study reveals that bumblebees can effectively fend off Asian hornets by dropping to the ground, a strategy that has not been observed in other pollinators. However, despite this successful defense mechanism, bumblebee colonies still experience reduced growth rates in areas with high numbers of Asian hornets.
Research found honeybees choose certain plants based on nutritional needs, selecting a fraction of available options to fulfill their requirements. This knowledge is crucial for ensuring food security and availability of suitable flowers throughout the summer.
A study published in PLOS Biology identifies key genetic loci that distinguish Penstemon species with flowers adapted to different pollinators. The research reveals surprisingly few genetic differences between species with different pollination syndromes, suggesting strong selection to maintain flower traits.
New research reveals that the Deformed wing virus DWV-A originated in Asia, contradicting previous European origins. The study found that Varroa mites transmitted the virus to European honey bees after their introduction to Asia, leading to widespread infections and colony declines.
The study reveals that different bee species may be exposed to pesticides differently, complicating assessments of pesticide risk. Neonicotinoid detection increased with wild plant presence in bumble bee pollen, highlighting the need for further investigation.
York University researchers found that maternal care significantly impacts the development, microbiome, and health of wild carpenter bees. Without proper care, pathogen loads increase, leading to reduced microbiomes, increased disease susceptibility, and poor overall health.
Researchers discovered 'mummified' bees in their brood cells, preserving them for 3,000 years due to exceptional conservation. The bees' cause of death remains unknown but is linked to oxygen shortages and changing temperatures in southwest Portugal.
Researchers found that pollination by both honey bees and mason bees increases sweet cherry production, with a synergy effect observed in orchards using both species. Growers can attract mason bees to their orchards by providing nest material, such as bamboo sticks, to enhance cross-pollination.
The B-GOOD project will introduce its achievements in improving honey bee health and beekeeping sustainability through an oral presentation, poster sessions, and online participation. The event aims to gather consortium members and external advisors to share knowledge and exchange ideas.
A new study found that ozone substantially changes floral odour plumes, reducing honeybees' ability to recognise odours by up to 90%. This degradation affects pollinators' crucial role in the natural environment, with implications for food security and biodiversity.
Researchers found that over 80% of honey bees sampled were positive for antimicrobial resistance targets, highlighting the need to monitor pollutants and implement clean-ups. The study also suggests that local waterbodies are a critical source of contamination, particularly in densely populated areas.
A new study has discovered hundreds of mummified bees from the time of Pharaoh Siamun, which have provided valuable insights into the decline of bee populations. The bees were found in a fossilized state on the southwest coast of Portugal and preserved the smallest anatomical details, including sex and pollen supply.
A global research team found that extreme heat exposure and prior infection from a protozoan pathogen can severely negatively impact solitary bees' thermal physiology and behavior. The study showed that healthy bees can tolerate high temperatures, but infected ones are less tolerant, affecting their ability to forage and pollinate crops.
The study warns that Asia's pollinators, including native bees and bumble bees, are under threat due to major habitat loss and human forces. The authors call for conservation efforts to curb declines and prioritize habitat restoration and trans-border partnerships.
A new study reveals significant gaps in knowledge of Asian bee species, highlighting the need for more resources to build basic scientific knowledge of bee biodiversity. This knowledge is crucial for managing and maintaining bee diversity, pollination, and food security in Asia.
A new study reveals that bees evolved on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana over 120 million years ago. The researchers sequenced and compared genes from more than 200 bee species, finding evidence of a parallel partnership between bees and flowering plants.
Researchers analyzed photographs of honeybee and wasp nests containing over 22,000 cells. They found that both species used similar building techniques at the transition between small and large cells, including the construction of intermediate-sized hexagonal cells and pairs of pentagonal and heptagonal cells.
Researchers found that bees and wasps, independently of each other, invented the same architectural tricks to solve the problem of tiling two differently-sized hexagons within a single sheet of comb. These insects use identical non-hexagonal cells, mostly 5- and 7-sided, in pairs to build these structures.
A new study analyzed existing research on bee-protective measures and found that many common methods are backed by minimal scientific evidence. Researchers urge stronger testing to evaluate effective measures and warn of potential waste of time if ineffective.
The Insects journal is inviting research articles and reviews on sustainable beekeeping solutions, including health monitoring, socio-economics, and pest control. The Special Issue will focus on evidence-based strategies to combat poor colony health and promote bee sustainability.
Researchers discovered that honey bees make rapid and accurate decisions by balancing effort, risk, and reward. By studying the bees' brain structure, they created a computer model that replicated their decision-making process, showcasing how simple brains can be efficient.
A new study found that warmer springs are causing British bees to emerge from hibernation 6.5 days earlier due to climate change, potentially disrupting the timing of plant flowering. This could lead to reduced pollination and increased costs for farmers using managed honeybees.
The study reveals five distinct brain types, each suited for its purpose, from a jellyfish's diffuse neural network to the human brain's reflective capabilities. Researchers suggest that autonomous machines can learn from coordination in bees, rapid thinking in birds, and single-mindedness in worms.
Researchers found that ahiflower oil supplementation can recover mitochondrial respiration rates in honey bees exposed to imidacloprid, a common neonicotinoid pesticide. This study suggests the potential for food supplements to decrease honey bee mortalities caused by pesticides.
A novel therapy boosting honey bees' immune systems has shown significant success in reducing virus activity and improving colony survival. The treatment uses a compound called pinacidil to increase free radicals, signaling the immune system to fight off viruses.
A study by US Department of Agriculture scientists found that honey bees are more faithful to their flower patches than bumble bees. Honey bees returned to 76% of the same alfalfa flowers, while bumble bees visited only 47%. The difference may be due to honey bees' communication system and risk aversion.
Researchers found no conclusive evidence of bird-honey badger cooperation in accessing honey from African bees' nests. Despite anecdotal reports, most communities surveyed denied seeing the two species interact, with only three communities in Tanzania reporting sightings.
Research from University of California San Diego scientists found that honey bee pollination results in inferior quality plant offspring compared to native bees. The study revealed that honey bees visit twice as many flowers per plant before moving to the next, leading to higher levels of self-pollination and lower-quality offspring.
The new exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia focuses on the importance of pollinators and the threats they face. Key research projects like B-GOOD, PoshBee, and Safeguard are showcased to promote conservation efforts.
A global analysis of pollinator decline in cities reveals that butterflies are most affected, with shrinking habitats and food availability causing populations to drop. Meanwhile, certain groups of wild bees, such as those nesting above ground, remain less impacted by urbanization.
Researchers discovered that honey bees can adapt their nest structures to compensate for disruptions, prioritizing structural connectedness. This adaptation enhances thermoregulation efficiency, improves larvae development, and optimizes travel distances within the nest.
Researchers discovered that air quality monitoring stations worldwide are collecting eDNA, providing a treasure trove of biodiversity data. This could solve the global problem of tracking biodiversity at massive scales, with thousands of locations and decades of historic data.
Researchers at the University of Bristol found that human influences can reduce bee communication effectiveness, adding stress to struggling colonies. The study analyzed habitat differences, social lifestyle, and nesting habits to explain variation in communication strategies among bees.
A new study suggests that moths are visiting just as many plants as bees and play a crucial role in supporting urban plant communities. However, their more complex life cycle and specific plant requirements make them less resilient to urbanization pressure.
A new study explores the genetic mechanisms underlying honey bee colony defense and aggression, revealing that gene regulation influences collective behavior and division of labor. Researchers found that brain gene regulatory networks differ between soldiers and foragers, particularly in more aggressive colonies.
A recent study refutes the long-held notion that bilateral symmetry in flowers enhances pollination accuracy by animals. The research found that the stabilization of animal flower entry is largely due to the horizontal orientation, rather than floral symmetry.
Washington State University researchers developed a robotic bee that can fly fully in all directions, including twisting motion. The Bee++ prototype achieves six degrees of free movement and is controlled by an artificial brain that acts like an insect's brain.
A new study has identified the preferred flower species of Midwest bumble bees, revealing that these social bees have more discerning dietary preferences than expected. The research found that common flower species like milkweed and thistles are favored by bumble bees, while others, such as alsike clover and black-eyed Susan, are ignored.
A new study from North Carolina State University reveals that carrying pollen increases the body temperature of bumble bees, potentially putting them at risk due to rising environmental temperatures. The research has significant implications for bumble bee populations and ecosystems, particularly in areas experiencing climate change.
Researchers at York University found more pathogens and parasites in urban bee populations, leading to inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity. Conservation efforts focused on green spaces and habitat connectors can help mitigate these effects.
Researchers found that three specialized Kenyon cell subtypes in honey bees evolved from a single, multifunctional ancestor, potentially offering insights into human behavior. Transcriptome analysis revealed comparable similarity between the Kenyon cell subtypes of sawflies and honey bees.
A new Concordia University study found that the rapid growth of urban honeybee-keeping is adversely affecting nearby wild bee populations. The researchers compared bee population data collected from sites around Montreal in 2013 and 2020, finding a decline in wild bee species richness associated with increasing honeybee abundance.
A study in urban Appleton, Wisconsin, reveals that actively managed green spaces with native wildflowers support higher bee populations. By incorporating native species into urban landscaping, communities can promote biodiversity and enhance local ecosystems.
Researchers found that honeybees use forests less than expected, with colonies traveling long distances to find food due to limited tree species diversity. A more diverse forest with insect-pollinated trees and shrubs can provide a balanced food supply throughout the season.
Researchers found that cellophane bees produce a liquid food for their larvae using lactobacilli bacteria, which are highly active and play a crucial role in their nutrition. This unique fermentation-based strategy has important implications for bee health and ecosystem ecology.
A study by Penn State researchers found that organic beekeeping management is sustainable and supports high honey-bee survival and honey production, rivaling conventional methods. Organic and conventional management systems both increased winter survival by more than 180% compared to chemical-free management.
A recent study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences reveals that receiving an inhibitory signal associated with negative food conditions can decrease brain dopamine levels in dancing honeybees. The researchers also found that increasing bee dopamine levels reduces the aversiveness of hornet attacks.
Researchers have solved the mystery of why orchid bees concoct their own fragrance. The bee fragrance serves as a sex attractant and increases the reproductive success of males. The study found that the females are attracted to the scent and that it triggers mating behavior in them.
A study by the University of Exeter and Bayer AG found that pollinators produce a conserved family of cytochrome P450 enzymes to tackle alkaloid toxins in plants. These enzymes allow bees to safely consume nectar and pollen from toxic plants, shedding light on insect tolerance mechanisms.
Native bees in Oregon's Coast Range are diverse and abundant in clearcut areas within years of timber harvest, but numbers drop sharply as the forest canopy closes. Management practices that promote open conditions can enhance floral resources and promote bee diversity.
A new study found that sunflower pollen's spiny structure reduces infection of a common bee parasite by 81-94% and increases the production of queen bumblebees. The research also suggests that other flowers in the sunflower family may have similar disease-fighting powers.
A new study reveals that the squash bee has evolved in response to increased agriculture, particularly squash cultivation. This adaptation allowed its population to expand significantly, making it an essential pollinator of these crops.
A study found that honeybee hive debris contains diverse genetic information from environmental bacteria, fungi, and plants, indicating unique microbial signatures for each city. This could be used to assess the overall health of cities and honeybees.
A recent study found that U.S. college students have low awareness of wild bee species, with their knowledge focusing primarily on honey bees and pollination services. The researchers suggest that education alone may not be enough to produce attitude and behavior change, and propose a novel approach using semantic network analysis and ...
Researchers developed a temperature-modulating robotic system to study honeybee behavior in winter, demonstrating its ability to influence movement and prolong colony survival. The system also revealed previously unreported dynamics and shed light on critical periods for bee development.
A new study suggests that climate change could lead to increased pesticide toxicity on bee populations and their pollination services. Environmental temperature can influence the degree to which pesticides affect bees' behavior, with certain temperatures causing a 'tipping point' in their ability to tolerate pesticide exposure.
Researchers found that honeybee foragers use waggle dance to provide both polar flight instructions (bearing and distance) and Cartesian-location vectors to approach the source. This new understanding reveals the complexity of symbolic communication in honeybees, adding new insights to the study of their navigational abilities.
Researchers at the University of California - San Diego found that honey bees use a 'waggle dance' to communicate the location of food sources, and that this behavior is improved by learning and culturally transmitted. The study demonstrates the importance of early social signal learning in non-human spatial referential communication.
Researchers found that young honey bees who followed dances of older bees improved their performance, reducing disordered dances and increasing orderly ones. Social signal learning refines behaviors for local conditions, suggesting it's advantageous for novice dancers to learn from experienced ones.
A study published in PLOS Biology found that bumblebees acquire new behaviors through social learning, with observed bees consistently choosing the taught method over an alternative option. This suggests that social learning may have driven the evolution of complex behaviors in these insects.