Europe will enforce the world’s first continent-wide ban on widely used insecticides alleged to cause serious harm to bees, after a European commission vote. The two year suspension is a landmark victory for millions of environmental campaigners, backed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), concerned about a dramatic decline in the bee population. The [...]
There is much talk these days of the decline in pollinator numbers and governments around the world are investing scarce resources into finding out why bees and other insects are disappearing, but maybe it doesn’t matter! US scientists have devised tiny winged robots inspired by flies that could one day help pollinate crops or aid [...]
Most of us have fed our bees with sugar syrup and occasionally high fructose corn syrup and we have generally been happy with the result, and happy that our bees are getting their energy requirements provided even though we have taken their honey. But what if by doing this, we are depriving them of the [...]
Many readers may have wondered which came first; the chicken or the egg, but a similar problem occurs when trying to decide who led who in plant bee evolution. Well now, the problem has been solved – at least in Australia. A team of researchers in Australia has shown that the evolution of flowers in [...]
We’ve all heard the old myth that “bumblebees shouldn’t be able to fly” and many have since wondered exactly how they do manage this feat so easily. Remember though that the old theory was based on calculations using the aerodynamic theories of 1918-19, which was only 15 years after the Wright brothers flew. These early [...]
With their distinctive banding in the so called ‘danger’ colours, bumblebees do look like insects that shouldn’t be messed with but is this the main factor that protects them from predators? New research shows that it may not be the case and that the distinctive black and yellow “warning” colours may not be what protects [...]
Beekeepers and researchers in the USA are reporting growing evidence that a powerful new class of pesticides may be killing off bumblebees. Now, research at the University of Pittsburgh points toward another potential cause: metal pollution from aluminium and nickel. Published in the journal Environmental Pollution, the study finds that bumblebees are at risk of [...]
University of Dundee researchers have warned of a “striking” difference in honey bee survival rates between the east and west of Scotland. Scientists studied more than 600 colonies across the country over 12 months. Of those colonies examined in the east of the country, 21%, failed, while only 14 of 286 colonies failed in the [...]
Ever wondered if bees warned each other about danger? Well in a fascinating piece of research carried out by French and Spanish scientists, it seems that social bees – honey bees and bumblebees are able to do this. Scientists already knew that some social bee species warn their conspecifics when detecting the presence of a [...]
Our previous article suggested that bees led the way in ‘designing’ flower colour, but bees didn’t have it all their own way as some flowers headed off in the direction of birds for their pollination needs. New research has shown that certain Australian native flowers have shifted away from using insects as pollinators and evolved [...]
Bee from the flowers Bee, whom all flowers make welcome to their sweet, Why an adventurer here, with clinging feet And busy trunk soliciting the lip That I alone am privileged to sip? Hence to thy hive, or stung thyself mayest be, For Love has planted his own sting in me. by Strato Strato of [...]
Honey bee mating was for centuries a complete mystery to human observers because it takes place on the wing in Drone Congregation Areas. This of course gave rise to many theories about the origin of bees such as the ox born bee, or the notion that pollen had something to do with it all. This [...]
Have you ever had Rainbow carrots? They are plentiful at the major supermarkets and this recipe brings out their flavour to the full. I found it on an American website: thevintagemixer.com and tried it out and it is really delicious. All of the ingredients are readily available and it doesn’t take long to prepare and [...]
