bees Archives

Hungry Baby Bees More Resilient to Starvation as Adults

April 26, 2016April 22, 2016 Science Connectedbees, honeybees

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore When was the last time you ate an apple? We rarely think about how fruits develop; apples, as well as many other fruits, nuts, and vegetables we take for granted, are the result of pollination by honeybees. Global demand for food production is surging, but in the past decade, honeybee colonies worldwide have been plagued by colony collapse disorder, a mysterious phenomenon where most of the worker bees in a colony vanish, leaving behind the queen bee, ample food stores, and a few nurse bees to…

Declining bee populations: A honeybee drinking nectar, its reward for pollinating the flower

Environment Science and Art Zoology

Declining Bee Populations Revisited

May 4, 2015March 10, 2021 Science Connectedbees, ecology, environment, insects, nature, nature photography, pollinators, save the bees

Are we headed toward a future with no bees? Declining Bee Populations Revisited covers what we know about bee hive collapse and recovery.

Environment Science and Art Zoology

Winter Bees, First Visitors

March 16, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedanimals, bees, biology, ecology, environment

This photo of a winter bee collecting pollen, called “First Visitors,” is the work of Germany-based photographer Steven Spence. Here is what he has to say about the photo: Friday, I had my first visit from a bee this year. Right now all that is in blossom around my place are crocuses, but that seems to be good enough for the first bees of the year. Bees born at different times of year have different life-cycles. This is a winter bee, which can live longer than the spring and summer…

Medicine for sick bees: A bumble bee collects nectar containing iridoid glycoside secondary metabolites from a turtlehead flower. (Leif Richardson)

Biology Environment

Nature’s Medicine Cabinet for Sick Bees

February 18, 2015September 4, 2015 Science Connectedagriculture, bees, biology, ecology, environment

By Kate Stone Around the world, honey bees are in decline and under constant threat from parasites. This ongoing problem threatens fruits, vegetables and other crops that make up much of the food supply for people. However, naturally occurring chemicals found in flowers of certain plants could be just the right prescription for sick bees, according to new research from Dartmouth College. The chemicals that occur naturally in floral nectar “may play a vital role in reducing bee-parasite interactions,” according to researcher Rebecca Irwin. The study found that chemicals in…

Biology Environment Zoology

Honey Bees Need Less Environmental Stress

December 1, 2014March 31, 2021 Science Connectedanimals, bees, biology, environment

Honey bees are threatened by the parasitic Varroa mite, insecticides, and a host of other factors. Scientists have a possible solution.

Biology Environment Zoology

Saving the Honey Bees with Microscopic Bugs

October 27, 2014September 5, 2015 Science Connectedbees

For several decades, honey bees have been ravaged by a deadly disease that kills their babies and leads to the collapse of entire hives. The disease is called American Foulbrood and its effects are so devastating and infectious that beekeepers often have to incinerate infected hives. Saving the honey bees from Foulbrood is complicated because the disease can rapidly evolve to resist antibiotics and other chemical treatments. For the past few decades, beekeepers have been losing hives at an alarming rate with no cure in sight. Losing entire hives not only disrupts…