Honeybee larvae develop into queen bees only when they are fed large quantities of a food known as royal jelly. But royal jelly does more than determine whether a larva becomes a queen: it also keeps her safely anchored to the roof of the structure, called a queen cell, in which she develops. Research published in Current Biology explains the role that the pH of royal jelly plays in making the substance viscous enough to keep the queen-to-be from falling.
Modern monoculture farming, commercial forestry and even well-intentioned gardeners could be making it harder for honeybees to store food and fight off diseases, a new study suggests.
Report by Bob Yirka, Phys.org
By Kashmira Gander, Newsweek
A commonly used weed killer could be wiping out bee populations around the world, scientists have warned.
Article by Daniel Stolte, University of Arizona
A team of German scientists discovered a new chemical compound that could save honey bees from Varroa mites — parasites that suck blood and harm colonies.
Global bee populations are on the decline, thanks to threats like fungicides and neonicotinoid pesticides. But honey bees in particular are plagued by another menace — a type of parasite called the Varroa mite. These mites attach themselves to honey bees after making their way into a colony and proceed to suck the bees’ blood. This not only shortens the bees’ lifespan, but also passes along diseases.