We will bring you information on worldwide developments within the beekeeping industry and related agricultural news. We will present a brief introduction to events, developments and interesting news releases as they occur. Want information sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for our free newsletter!
Asian hornets attack honey bee colonies in much of Europe. The United Kingdom doesn’t want this hungry predator feasting on their hives. They’ve set up an effective eradication program, successfully destroying the unwanted invaders on two separate incursions. New technology will make finding the nests of these voracious hornets easier. Research shows that electronic radio tags can be used to track …
Certain aromas trigger memories in humans, transporting us back in time. But how well do bees understand scent? And can they translate scent cues into a visual imprint? New research led by scientists from the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London demonstrates that bumble bees have keen sniffers, letting them tell flowers apart by patterns of scent. Flowers …
The iridescent shimmer of butterfly wings, the metallic green of a sweat bee, the color shifting carapace of a beetle: who hasn’t stopped to admire these beautiful works of nature, wondering how they produce such a dazzling and shifting array of color? Long thought to help attract mates, it turns out that the iridescence may actually function as camouflage, helping …
The many threats facing bumble bees can be tested using a "virtual safe space" created by scientists at the University of Exeter. Bumble-BEEHAVE provides a computer simulation of how colonies will develop and react to multiple factors including pesticides, parasites and habitat loss. The tool lets researchers, farmers, policymakers and other interested parties test different land management techniques to find out …
Bumble bees living in the city have genes that differ from those of their relatives in the countryside. Although genetic differences are not major, they nevertheless may influence how well the insects adapt to their habitat. For example, urban bumble bees are probably better able to react to environmental challenges that come with city life, such as higher temperatures. These …
The Macropis Cuckoo Bee is one of the rarest bees in North America, partly because of its specialized ecological associations. It is a nest parasite of oil-collecting bees of the genus Macropis which, in turn, are dependent on oil-producing flowers of the genus Lysimachia. In fact, the cuckoo bee - which much like its feather-bearing counterpart does not build a nest …
The March 2018 cover of the American Bee Journal (ABJ) featured a crab spider that had caught a honey bee. Crab spiders have an amazing ability to blend into a flower and catch pollinators. This could harm plants in need of pollination, but new research shows the spiders also protect the plant. Interactions between organisms such as plants and animals can …
New crop pests often leaves farmers scrambling for new control methods. When pests hybridize and become resistant to pesticides, farmers often need to apply more insecticides to help rein in the damage. In South America, two megapests have hybridized and if they make their way north, it could mean trouble for America’s farmers. Australian scientists have confirmed the hybridization of two …