bees Archives - Science Connected Magazine

Make Your Garden a Powerhouse for Pollinators

February 23, 2021February 24, 2021 Science Connectedbees, garden, pollinators

Home gardens are by far the biggest source of food for pollinating insects, including bees and wasps, in cities and towns.

queen bee, queen bees, bee colony, bee colonies, bee health

Animals Botany Environment

Relaxed Queen Bees Have More Offspring

September 30, 2020September 23, 2020 Science Connectedagriculture, beekeeping, bees, biology, ecology, nature

Queen bees produce different proteins when they are stressed, and this new discovery could change how we monitor hive conditions.

Animals Ecology Environment

Murder Hornets a Threat to Honey Bees

September 21, 2020September 13, 2020 Science Connectedbees, conservation, murder hornets, wildlife

Asian giant hornets, sometimes called murder hornets, are the latest in a long line of recent threats to honey bees in North America.

Animals Biodiversity Environment

Urban Gardens a Haven for Pollinators

August 5, 2020August 4, 2020 Science Connectedbees, city planning, flowers, insects, pollinators, urban gardening

Insect-friendly urban gardens show great promise to be havens for bees and other pollinators, securing their future and allowing them to thrive.

Animals Biology

Do Wandering Bees Help Spread Disease?

August 15, 2017August 14, 2017 Science Connectedbees, disease, pollinators

By Emily Rhode @riseandsci Given the continued growth of the human population, it’s no surprise that our behaviors impact plants and animals. But what might be alarming are the ways we harm these species. Habitat loss and pesticide use have been shown to have devastating effects on pollinator populations worldwide, but researchers from the University of Toronto have found a new and unexpected way that humans are killing off bumblebees. And according to their study, the potential for bee deaths will only get worse as our demand for pollinated crops…

Animals Botany Environment

Chemicals Used on Almond Trees Linked to Bee Deaths

August 1, 2017August 14, 2017 Science Connectedalmonds, bees, fungicide, honeybees

By Emily Rhode @riseandsci Americans have a serious obsession with almonds. In 2016, 1.2 million metric tons were grown worldwide, and 80% of that was grown in California alone. As our taste grows for the protein-packed nut, a looming crisis threatens not only the almond crop, but the global food industry as a whole. Over the last decade, honeybee populations, which are necessary for sustaining a healthy almond industry, have been steadily declining. The reasons for the decrease are not fully clear. What if our rabid consumption of this tasty…

Animals Biology Botany Environment

Urban Life of Bees: A Pollination-Parasite Trade-Off

July 27, 2017July 27, 2017 Science Connectedagriculture, bees, parasite, pollination, urban

By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic Few people would consider cities the ideal home for bees, but what if these dense population centers could provide the means for healthy cohabitation? Scientists from Europe recently examined how bumblebees visit and pollinate flowers across urban and agricultural regions and found that urban areas can have a surprisingly beneficial effect on pollination rates. The reasons behind these results not only provide insight into how cities could be designed to better care for bees but also signal yet another danger of farming monocultures. Urban sanctuary…

Animals Botany Environment

Tips for a Bee-Friendly Garden

July 20, 2017July 31, 2017 Science Connectedalternative pesticides, bees, gardening

By Steven Spence @TheStevenSpence More Diverse Than Honeybees When we hear about bees most of us think of honeybees (Apis mellifera) but there are many more bees around us. In fact, there are approximately 4000 native bee species in North America. Some of the most familiar types are bumblebees, mason bees, carpenter bees, and leaf cutter bees. These bee species also are important as pollinators. Fortunately, there are many ways we can help bees flourish whether we have farms, garden plots, backyards, or live in an urban environment with a…

Biology Botany

Flower Power: The Physics of Pollination

December 5, 2016December 5, 2017 Science Connectedbees, physics, pollen, pollination, pollinators

By Marie Davey @biophilesblog Pollination. The word brings to mind the droning buzz of fat yellow and black bumblebees bouncing from blossom to blossom in flower-decked meadows. But up close and in person, pollination is often anything but idyllic. The physical forces involved in pollination can be impressive, and both plants and insects must be well adapted to withstand them. The flowers of bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) generate impressive physical forces, acting as tiny pollen catapults. Bunchberry flower buds have petals that are fused to one another and completely enclose the…

Animals Biology

The Brainy Life of Bees

November 2, 2016November 2, 2016 Science Connectedbees, cognition, emotion, intelligence

By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic The thought of worker bees buzzing about their colonies in service of the queen may not suggest a rich mental life at first. However, two experiments run by separate teams at Queen Mary University of London reveal a surprising potential for bumblebees to learn novel tasks as well as experience mental states similar to human optimism. The findings suggest that bees can transfer learned skills across generations—one of the primary requirements for primitive culture. I’m just pulling your string Crows, apes, and dolphins get plenty of…