- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The scientists at UC Riverside will digitize and consolidate nearly one million bee specimen records from ten collections across the United States with the support of a three-year National Science Foundation grant, according to a story published last week in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
UCR museum scientist Doug Yanega - the co-principal investigator of the grant that also involves UC Davis, UC Berkeley and seven other institutions - oversees one of nation's best collections of bee specimens, the article said. It includes iridescent green and blue...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The super sensitive sensors of insects' antennae can detect vapor molecules in the low parts per billion, so a UC Davis researcher is seeking to train bees to pick up the subtle scent of plant disease before it can be seen by the human eye.
UC Davis plant pathology post-doc Andrew Sutherland designed an experiment that utilizes bees' sense of smell to alert farmers they may or may not need a fungicide spray to manage disease on their crops.
Sutherland's use of the classical conditioning method - like that used on Pavlov's dogs - was described in a 2 1/2-minute video on
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A national roundup of honey bee happenings on the website Tonic.com touched on the UC Davis Honey Bee Haven, a bee-friendly garden set to open to the public Sept. 11.
Tonic reports on good things that happen, dwelling on stories that "inspire, bring hope or simply put a smile on your face." And what could be more inspirational than a lovely flowering garden made possible by a generous donor that daily brings delight and joy to the world, Häagen Dazs ice cream?The Honey Bee Haven is designed to...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
California's pre-spring mid-February weather is pushing open orchard blossoms and raising worries about dwindling bee numbers.
The Madera Tribune yesterday reported that an abrupt disappearance of worker bees within the last two weeks, and in some instances overnight, is spreading alarm throughout the California agriculture industry.
“We are going to have a big shortage of bees,” the story quoted Madera beekeeper Lyle Johnson. “It’s worse than four years ago. Growers don’t know it yet, but a few are starting to ask.”
Johnson told reporter Ramona Frances farmers are scrambling for bees.
"Almond prices are going up but if you don’t have the...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
An article posted today on Salon.com said the maker of imidacloprid, Bayer CropScience, found the pesticide in the nectar and pollen of flowering trees and shrubs at concentrations high enough to kill a honeybee in minutes. That December 2007 revelation, plus beekeepers' own experiences in fields treated by the pesticide, have scientists taking a new look at imidacloprid's role in sudden, unexplained bee die-offs that have been reported around the world for the past 10 years.
Scientists have pondered whether there is a single cause of Colony Collapse Disorder or whether the phenomena results from a variety of factors,...