Bees

This past summer, my wife and I ventured to an area near Mount Adams in southwestern Washington state to census bumblebees. We camped there over the weekend as we took part in the Pacific Northwest Bumblebee Atlas survey. Scientists want to fill gaps in their knowledge about the bees. Learning…

A Hesperapis regularis bee visits a flower of Clarkia cylindrica at Pinnacles National Park. Credit: Tania Jogesh Study of flowers with two types of anthers solves mystery that baffled Darwin. Some flowers use a clever strategy to ensure effective pollination by bees, doling out pollen gradually from two different sets…

Most flowering plants depend on pollinators such as bees to transfer pollen from the male anthers of one flower to the female stigma of another flower, enabling fertilization and the production of fruits and seeds. Bee pollination, however, involves an inherent conflict of interest, because bees are only interested in…

The European honeybee has been in Australia for almost 200 years and its presence is often seen as benign, even beneficial. But that may not always be the case.Key points:Feral European bees may outcompete native bees for floral resourcesScientists do not fully understand the impacts and say more research is…

If anyone knows about going fungal, it’s Paul Stamets. I have often wondered whether he has been infected with a fungus that fills him with mycological zeal—and an irrepressible urge to persuade humans that fungi are keen to partner with us in new and peculiar ways. I went to visit…

How do you keep bees in your orchard when there are more attractive flowering plants in the vicinity? The answer may lie in pheromones.Key points:Bees are essential for almond trees to produce nutsKeeping bees in an orchard can be difficult if other types of enticing flowering plants are around A…

When we talk about “bees”, we’re usually referring to the European honey bee (its scientific name is Apis Mellifera). Humans have been drooling over its honey and taking advantage of its pollination powers for thousands of years.So how do these insects make honey, you ask? You’ll find the task is…

By Brenna OwenThe Canadian PressWed., July 29, 2020timer2 min. readWINNIPEG—A lack of wild bees and managed honey bees is limiting pollination and yields for certain crops on farms in British Columbia and across the United States, a collective of researchers has found.Their study published Tuesday in the Royal Society’s journal…

The Northern Territory's bee numbers are dwindling after back-to-back dry wet seasons, to the point that beekeepers cannot satisfy demand for honey and crucial pollination services.Key points:Back-to-back dry wet seasons have caused many native Top End trees and plants to produce much less nectarThe diminished health of bees threatens the…

Taking tips from nature, a team of mechanical engineering students has invented a pollination drone that could one day assist bees.Read More