Bees

Artist’s impression of bumblebee interacting with flower. Credit: Benjamin and Joseph Tiso Pollinators are less likely to land on flowers sprayed with fertilizers or pesticides as they can detect electric field changes around the flower, researchers at the University of Bristol have found. The study, published in PNAS Nexus today,…

On Hogarth Range, bees are buzzing and Southview Orchard's stone fruit trees are bursting with pink blossoms. Key points:Bees have already pollinated 90 per cent of the peach and nectarine trees at Southview OrchardJohn and Frieda de Kleuver are hoping for a bumper crop this year after a successful pollinationPruning, the busiest…

Small marine critters ferry around seaweed sex cells, the first recorded example of “pollination” in algae The small crustacean Idotea balthica facilitates male gamete dispersal and fertilization in the red alga Gracilaria gracilis. They use the densely branched, bushy red algae for shelter and feed on microalgae that grow on…

Researchers in Western Australia have confirmed a blowfly species to be as good at pollinating as bees.  Key points:A species of blowfly has been found to be as effective as bees in pollinationFurther research is being done on commercialisation and private rollout of using flies as managed pollinators Researchers say relying on…

As demand for crops grows, the pollination services provided by the honeybees managed by beekeepers are becoming increasingly insufficient Life 17 May 2022 By Gary Hartley Members of the Somerset Beekeepers’ Association inspect the hives at their apiary in Somerset, UK MaxWillcock/Bournemouth News/Shutterstock Honeybee populations managed by beekeepers are “far…

A shipment of honeybees bound from California to Alaska died after an airline re-routed them through Atlanta, then left them to sit on the tarmac during hot weather By The Associated Press 29 April 2022, 19:07 • 3 min read About 5 million honeybees bound for Alaska last weekend got…

Sacrificing a small patch of your garden may be enough to greatly improve the plight of bees at a time when pollinators are suffering huge declines. “A small wildflower patch or a mini meadow in your garden could have big benefits for biodiversity,” says Janine Griffiths-Lee, a PhD candidate in…

Photo: Thijs de Graaf (Shutterstock) Wasps have a public relations problem. Sure, there are probably plenty of people out there who aren’t big fans of bees—especially if they’ve had an allergic reaction to being stung by one—but ultimately, most would make their feelings known with the caveat that they realize…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain Common air pollutants from both urban and rural environments may be reducing the pollinating abilities of insects by preventing them from sniffing out the crops and wildflowers that depend on them, new research has shown. Scientists from the University of Reading, the UK Center for Ecology…

Caffeine is a widely occurring plant defense chemical that occurs in the nectar of some plants, e.g., coffee and citrus, where it may influence pollinator behavior to enhance pollination. New laboratory tests show that buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) locate new food sources emitting a learned floral odor more consistently if…