Birds, Bees and Other Critters Have Scruples,
and For Good Reason

Psychologists find examples of conscientiousness, such as working hard, paying attention to detail and striving to do the right thing, throughout the animal kingdom University of California - Berkeley   Humans are not the only species to show a strong work ethic and scruples. UC Berkeley researchers have found evidence of conscientiousness in insects, reptiles, birds, fish and other critters. In reviewing nearly …

Stingless Bees Have Specialized Guards to Defend
Their Colonies, Study Reveals

The emergence of colonies with individuals more robust and larger than other workers coincided with the appearance of "robber bees" Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo   Like ants and termites, several species of stingless bees have specialized guards or soldiers to defend their colonies from attacks by natural enemies. The differentiation of these guardian bees, which are more robust, …

Enhancing Honey Bee Nutrition Through
Collaboration, Communication

By Julie Shapiro Grabbing a meal on the go isn’t easy — and that’s true whether you’re a human or a bee. Like us, honey bees face a wide variety of challenges every day. Finding nutritious, complete meals is increasingly becoming a problem for these industrious pollinators. The rapid and recent losses of pollinator habitat and forage across North America, driven in …

Nicotine Enhances Bees’ Activity

Queen Mary University of London Nicotine-laced nectar can speed up a bumblebee's ability to learn flower colours, according to scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The researchers used artificial flowers in a tightly-monitored flight arena in the laboratory to mimic how flowering plants use animals as pollen carriers and reward pollinators with sugars found in floral nectar. The team sought …

Immunotherapy Against Bee Stings in Some Cases Incomplete

Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health   Summer is approaching, and for many allergy sufferers this means it is time to start fearing bee stings. "Allergic reactions to insect venoms are potentially life-threatening, and constitute one of the most severe hypersensitivity reactions," explains PD Dr. Simon Blank, research group leader at the Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), …

Dry Pattern to Offer No Wildfire Relief in Florida as West Mims Fire Evacuations Expand

Courtesy of Renee Duff, Accuweather meteorologist Beekeepers Are Losing Apiaries to the Fire Editors Note: Initial reports indicate that several commercial beekeepers have suffered severe colony losses in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge area where they had located apiaries for honey flows. As crews continue to battle the massive West Mims Fire, mainly dry weather will worsen the wildfire and drought situation across …

National Honey Board Swears in New Board Members

Firestone, Colorado, May 8, 2017 – At its most recent board meeting, the National Honey Board (NHB) swore in its newest members, appointed by former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture appoints members to the NHB after reviewing qualified nominations from certified national organizations. Prior to the day and a half board meeting, which took place …