Honeybees were into probiotics way before they were cool, a new study suggests.
The hipster insects serve up beneficial bacteria that may help baby bees develop a healthy blend of gut microbes,researchers report online August 7 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Without those thriving gut communities, the critical pollinators may have trouble digesting their plant-based food.
WORKER BEE WITH TWO VARROA MITES A new genetics study of wild honeybees offers clues to how a population has adapted to a mite that has devastated bee colonies worldwide. The findings may aid beekeepers and bee breeders to prevent...
FLORENCE, S.C. – Honey bees exert an outsized influence on the larger ecosystem. As a keystone species, their health affects the health of garden plants and foods including tree nuts, fruits, vegetables and berries.And for nearly a decade, the honey bee populations have been in peril. Committees in Washington have devoted investigations to what’s become known as colony collapse disorder. And with about 3,000 beekeepers in the state, South Carolina has a stake in the health of the honey bee.
“Flowers are hotspots for parasite spread between and within pollinator populations,” said Peter Graystock, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside and a member of the research team. “Both the flower and bee species play a role in how likely parasite dispersal will occur.”Photo shows a honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a bumblebee (Bombus spp.) foraging on a purple coneflower.
The Bee Informed Partnership BIP invites you to check out the latest program for backyard beekeepers, the BIP’s HiveCheck Program. Every two weeks BIP will be sending to hundreds of beekeepers across the country a short 10 question survey asking how they are managing their colonies to share management practices with each other. At the end of each week BIP will send a detailed report of all the responses to our participants including filters to see management trends by region and even by state for premium members.
The number of bees and colonies rebounding in the US, reaching a 20-year high. Beekeepers' efforts combatting colony collapse pay off, benefiting honey bees.
