ARS Research Leads to Better Understanding of Bee Health

By Kim Kaplan USDA Agricultural Research Service WASHINGTON, August 2, 2016—Bacteria in the gut of young honey bees may provide clues about the impact parasites have on bee health. That and other experimental findings were published by U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Because young honey bees don't have gut bacteria, …

Research Aims to Grasp Complexities in Plant-Pollinator Networks Across Tallgrass Prairies

University of Kansas LAWRENCE -- According the Environmental Protection Agency, the declining health of pollinators reported for the past decade is tied to a mix of factors, including habitat loss, pests, pathogens, viruses, poor nutrition and pesticides. "Insect pollinators are incredibly important for agricultural ecosystems," said Kathy Denning, doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Kansas. "A huge …

Varroa Mite Found in Queensland, Australia

(Queensland Government News Release)   Varroa mites have been detected in North Queensland at the Port of Townsville, and Biosecurity Queensland is implementing a surveillance program to prevent any spread of the mite. The mites’ most likely entry path into Australia was on a feral swarm of Asian honey bees arriving at the port. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has movement restrictions for …

2016 Vita International Honey Bee and Beekeeping Photo Competition

Photographers with an interest in honey bees and beekeeping are invited to enter the fifth annual Vita photo competition. Winners’ photographs will appear in the 2017 Vita Calendar and be featured in Vita’s monthly newsletters. All winners will receive a copy of the limited edition calendar and one outright winner will also receive a cash prize plus beekeeping products. The competition …

Sweet News for Honey as Consumption Rising in United States

USDA Estimates Annual Consumption of Nearly One Pound of Honey Per Person (National Honey Board News Release) Firestone, Colorado – According to latest data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), honey consumption continues to rise in the country with an average of nearly one pound (0.9 pound) of honey being consumed per person compared to 0.5 pounds consumed per person …

Honey Bee Circadian Rhythms are Affected More by Social Interactions

Hebrew University field study shows for the first time that social time cues override influence of light and darkness in regulating the natural body clock of honey bees, highlighting the complexity of clock regulation in natural habitat The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Circadian rhythms are internal clocks that determine many of an organism's daily rhythms, for example sleep-wake, feeding, urinary …

London Bee Tracking Project Begins

Queen Mary University of London Hundreds of bees with individual coloured number tags will be released from the rooftops of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) on Tuesday 21 June and over the next month for a project that hopes to uncover the secret lives of London's bees. Biologists from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences will attach weather-resistant number tags …

Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association Bee Friendly Program to Recognize Towns Encouraging Beekeeping

PITTSBURGH – June 20, 2016 – The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association (PSBA) is kicking off National Pollinator Week (June 20-16) with the launch of its Bee Friendly PA Program, an effort designed to recognize communities throughout the Commonwealth for their efforts in supporting honeybee health through legislation, education, pest management, green space care and “Honeybee health is critical to supporting …