Blog
Bee Informed: Murder Hornets Given a New Name, Meet the Robber Fly, and Threatened Wild Bees Get Help from Washington Researchers
Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability.1. Murder hornets given new common name by entomologists(Associated Press) The invasive hornet found in Washington state that has been referred to as the Asian giant hornet or murder hornet has a new name.Washington state Department of Agriculture officials said Monday that the Entomological Society of America (ESA) has adopted “northern giant
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Jul 27th 2022
Bee Informed: Bees Change from Solitary to Social, Bees are Fish, Ecologically Friendly Alternatives to the Great American Lawn, and Ball of Mating Bees
Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability.1. Native Bees Climb Social Ladder(County News) A native bee which nests in tree-fern fronds is helping scientists understand how life developed to be social and altruistic — and how bees evolved to purposefully hatch sterile young, a fact which defies Darwin’s natural selection theory.The Australian bee Amphylaeus morosus only recently made th
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Jun 22nd 2022
Bee Informed: The Insect Apocalypse, Tracking the Invasive Giant Hornet, and A Vision For More Sustainable Farmlands
Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability.1. The loss of insects is an apocalypse worth worrying about(Vox) Perhaps you don’t think much about the value of dung beetles. But without them crawling around farms, stables, and wild savannas today, the world would be pretty, er, shitty. What about the importance of small, mosquito-like flies called midges? Without them, there’d be no chocol
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Mar 25th 2022
Researcher Highlight: Jessica Maccaro
Mason bees are susceptible to many parasites and diseases, increasing over time, especially when the same nest materials are used for multiple seasons. One of the most destructive diseases of cavity-nesting bees is chalkbrood, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Ascosphaera.Several species of Ascosphaera exist, including Ascosphaera torchioi (affects mason bees), A. larvis, and A. aggregata (affects alfalfa leafcutter bees). Chalkbrood disease also affects honey bees, but it is caused yet ano
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Feb 10th 2022
Bee Informed: Another Win for Pollinators, Air Pollution Impairs Bees Ability to Smell Flowers, and To Plant or To Let it Grow
Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability.1. New Jersey Enacts Groundbreaking Neonic Legislation(NRDC) New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law A2070 (Calabrese)/S1016 (Smith), which prohibits most outdoor non-agricultural uses of harmful neonicotinoid pesticides. An outpouring of scientific evidence points to neonics as a leading cause of bee losses; a threat to birds, other wi
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Jan 27th 2022