Bees

The Australian bee industry is warning of crop failures and a potential food crisis as the bee-killing parasite varroa mite wipes out at least 60 per cent of hives. The spread of the parasite through eastern states and South Australia since 2022 has devastated many beekeeping businesses. A new Pollination…

Virginia Gewin Washington Post · 1 Jan, 2026 04:00 PM 8 mins to read Increased demand for biofuels has sparked higher use of nitrogen fertilisers throughout the Midwest. Photo / Rory Doyle, Bloomberg via The Washington Post Increased demand for biofuels has sparked higher use of nitrogen fertilisers throughout the…

Paleontologists have screened 24-million-year-old fossil flowers and bees from the Late Oligocene of Enspel, Germany, and identified a new species of linden, Tilia magnasepala, as well as two new bumblebee species, Bombus (Kronobombus) messegus and Bombus (Timebombus) palaeocrater. The presence of the same Tilia pollen in flowers and adhering to…

Did you know that one in three food items you eat is dependent on the pollination of a bee?  Picture yourself walking down the fruit and veggie aisle at your local supermarket, looking at the apples, tomatoes, avocados, and cherries you will likely put in your trolley. Even the lemons…

Bees play a vital role in pollination and ecosystems, but not all are the gentle garden visitors we imagine. Some bees—and wasp-like relatives—pack a powerful sting, show extreme aggression, or defend their nests with deadly force. Whether it’s their painful venom, swarming behavior, or territorial nature, these species are not…

Healthier honey bees could help increase crop yields by improving pollination efficiency. Scientists have developed a new food source capable of sustaining honey bee colonies indefinitely without the need for natural pollen. Published on April 16 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study from Washington State…

New research shows flies can tolerate temperatures 2.3°C lower than bees before losing motor function, making them particularly vulnerable to climate change and raising concerns about their crucial role as the world’s second most important pollinators. The study, conducted across three countries, reveals that flies’ sensitivity to heat is especially…

Almond growers have warned that without an end to restrictions on bee movements from New South Wales, the sector could face a shortage of pollinators and potential low yields. NSW beekeepers have been restricted from moving their hives interstate since 2022 due to the incursion of varroa mite. Almond growers…

The combination of honey bees and mason bees as pollinators yields a much bigger harvest than with only one species. Credit: Julia Osterman To obtain the biggest cherry harvest, trees should be pollinated by both honey bees and mason bees. A new study led by a researcher at the University…

Bees work in their hive in Isokyro, western Finland, Sept. 11, 2022. —AFP/fileA truck carrying five million bees overturned on a road near Toronto, Ontario, prompting police to warn drivers to keep their car windows closed. The bee crates fell off the truck in Burlington, Ontario, at around 6:15 am…