Bee

Latest Bee News and Research

Determining Sex in Ants

Researchers at the universities of Mainz and Lausanne have identified a noncoding gene as the deciding factor in determining sex in Argentine ants.

From University of Mainz 7 Jun 2024

Insights Into Adaptation of Aspergillus flavus in Honey Bee Colonies

The past attempts of honey bee researchers to inventory the fungal diversity in honey bee colonies revealed that Aspergillus flavus is frequently found in hives.

22 May 2024

The Impact of Flowering Season on Bee Colony Survival

Plant species that are classified as “pollinator friendly” in Europe start flowering up to a month too late in the spring to successfully aid in bee conservation, according to a new study from the Universities of Oxford and Exeter.

25 Mar 2024

Honey Bees Show Remarkable Heat Tolerance with Metabolic Adjustments

A University of Wyoming scientist’s research has shown that honey bees carrying nectar have the amazing ability to modify their flight behavior to prevent overheating when air temperatures rise.

14 Feb 2024

Honeybees Directly Provide Nutrients to Gut Bacteria

Bacteria have adapted to all terrestrial environments. Some have evolved to survive in the gut of animals, where they play an important role for their host; they provide energy by degrading indigestible food, they train and regulate the immune system, they protect against invasion by pathogenic bacteria, and they synthesize neuroactive molecules that regulate the behavior and cognition of their host.

16 Jan 2024

Pesticide Sprays and Olfactory Disruption in Honey Bee Communication

For a considerable period, the detrimental impact of pesticide sprays on honey bees has been recognized. In a recent study, researchers have unraveled the consequences of such sprays on the sense of smell in bees, potentially disrupting their social signals.

18 Dec 2023

Pesticides Harm Bumblebees, Even After Regulations Tightened

A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees – one of the most important wild pollinators.

30 Nov 2023

Centralized Tool Revolutionizes Global Bee Data

A centralized tool named BeeBCD has emerged as a powerful solution for addressing substantial gaps in public bee data, particularly from regions like Africa and Asia, which have been underrepresented.

6 Nov 2023

Australasia’s Overlooked Pollination Crisis Could Lead to Biodiversity Loss and Food Insecurity

Australasia has likely overlooked a pollination crisis, according to new research published today in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

31 Oct 2023

Two Bee Species Become One as Researchers Solve Identity Puzzle

A new study by Curtin and Flinders Universities has found that what were thought to be two different species of native Australian bee are in fact one.

30 Oct 2023

Bumblebees Have an Effective Defense Mechanism Against Asian Hornets

New research reveals that bumblebees have developed a highly effective strategy to defend against Asian hornets.

6 Oct 2023

The Recognition of Polymorphic Csd Proteins Defines Sex in Honeybees

Until now, it has been unknown how a bee’s sex is decided. A team of biologists and chemists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has found a critical gene and the chemical process that goes with it. They describe how this process is analogous to a dice game in the current edition of the scholarly journal Science Advances.

5 Oct 2023

Identifying Genetic Differences Underlying Pollination Syndromes in Wildflowers

Recent research led by Carolyn Wessinger at the University of South Carolina, USA, and colleagues discovered that substantial variations in flower traits among wildflowers, driven by different pollinators, can be attributed to a select set of crucial genetic distinctions.

29 Sep 2023

Study Shows How Extreme Heat Waves Affect Host-Pathogen Relationship Between Bees and Pathogens

The historically high heat waves that gripped the southwest United States and southern Europe this summer are causing problems for more than just humans.

17 Aug 2023

Bees Originated Earlier, Diversified Faster and Spread Wider Than Previously Thought

The origin of bees is tens of millions of years older than most previous estimates, a new study shows.

1 Aug 2023

Cornell Researchers Develop a Multimodal Platform to Image Biohybrids

When considering ways to sustainably generate environmentally friendly products, bacteria might not immediately spring to mind.

31 Jul 2023

Bee Protective Pesticide Mitigation Measures Need Stronger Scientific Evidence

Responsible use of pesticides includes striving to avoid negative effects on the environment, often with an emphasis on protecting bees and other pollinators.

18 Jul 2023

Scientists Reveal How Honey Bees' Brains Work

Honey bees have to balance effort, risk and reward, making rapid and accurate assessments of which flowers are mostly likely to offer food for their hive.

11 Jul 2023

Study Highlights Potential Causes for Changing Foraging Habits of Bumblebees

A new study highlights potential causes for changing foraging habits of bumblebees. Using advanced molecular techniques called pollen metabarcoding, researchers investigated interactions between bumblebees and plants in Cuxhaven, Germany, and how they changed over 60 years.

11 Jul 2023

Omega-3 Rich Oil Shows Promise in Protecting Honey Bees from Neonicotinoids

New research suggests that the use of an omega-3 rich oil called "ahiflower oil" can prevent damage to honey bee mitochondria caused by neonicotinoid pesticides.

5 Jul 2023