Researchers raise concern of native species being outcompeted by non-native honey bees, which were found to extract nearly 80 percent of available pollen in a day at a key hotspot of bee biodiversity The majority of the earth’s plant species, including our crop plants, rely on the services of animal pollinators in order to reproduce….
Botanists from the University of Copenhagen and the UK set out to find the best flower combinations for bees and hoverflies. The results make it easier for garden owners and municipalities, among others, to plant the perfect pantries for insects, which also delight the human eye. Flower strips, seed mixtures, and wild by design. We…
Warzones, microplastics and light pollution pose serious new risks to bees and other pollinators over the next decade, according to a landmark report on today’s World Bee Day. The report from Bee:wild, a new science-led global campaign to save pollinators, identifies the top 12 emerging threats that could accelerate pollinator losses within the next 5-15…
Plants can “hear” bees buzzing and serve up more nectar when they are nearby, scientists have found. The research suggests that plants are a more active partner than previously thought in their symbiotic relationship with pollinators. The behaviour could be a survival strategy that favours giving nectar and sugar to bees over so-called nectar robbers…
War zones, microplastics and street lights are among the emerging threats to the bee population, according to scientists. Bee experts have drawn up a list of the 12 most pressing threats to the pollinator over the next decade, published in a report, Emerging Threats and Opportunities for Conservation of Global Pollinators, by the University of…
In a new study, researchers at the University of Würzburg are investigating the interaction of major global change drivers on insects. The number and diversity of insects is declining worldwide. Some studies suggest that their biomass has almost halved since the 1970s. Among the main reasons for this are habitat loss – for example through…
Wildflowers could be absorbing toxic metals from soil in urban areas and passing toxins on to pollinators, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that common plants including white clover and bindweed, which are vital forage for pollinators in cities, can accumulate arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead from contaminated soils. These…
This summer, I spent two months on the island of Lesvos, Greece, the setting of the National Science Foundation-sponsored Pollinators, Climate Change, and the Aegean Archipelago Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Our team of seven students and four senior researchers from various backgrounds in the U.S. worked to untangle the interacting stressors impacting bees in…
When Clancy talks about saving native bees, he bursts with energy reminiscent of his conservationist idol Steve Irwin. “There’s a common misconception that all bees make honey and live in hives,” he says, citing Australia’s 2,000-odd species. “But the majority of our native bees are actually solitary.” The 23-year-old ecologist known as “The Bee Man”…
Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth’s most prolific pollinators. A new study led by Penn State scientists suggests that flies are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures. An international team of researchers examined the heat tolerance of various bee and fly species in…