The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently approved the world’s first ever vaccine against American Foulbrood (AFB) for honeybees. This offers beekeepers an effective solution to protect their colonies from American Foulbrood disease. What is American Foulbrood Disease? American Foulbrood (AFB) is a highly contagious and dangerous bacterial disease affecting bee colonies. It is…
Modern pesticides cause brain damage in honeybees according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Insect Science . Honeybees bees use something called “path integration” to find their way back to the hive. This is when an animal uses cues from its environment, like the sun to keep track of its location….
A new species of honeybee appeared in India, – the first discovery of a new honeybee species in 200 years! The species was discovered by researchers from the Kerala Agricultural University’s Integrated Farming Systems Research Station (IFSRS). Commonly named ´Indian Black Honeybee´ (Apis karinjodian), the new cavity-nesting species is endemic to the Western Ghats, covering…
Swarms of honeybees can produce up to 1000 Volt electricity! This is as much electrical charge as a thunderstorm! The study, published in the journal iScience, explains how researchers at Bristol University in the UK stumbled across this amazing discovery by chance. Sadly, the discovery will not help with cheaper energy for electric cars, but…
Humans are not the only beings that like cannabis, bees love cannabis too! Two independent studies have shown that the sweet pollen of cannabis plants attracts 16 different species of bees. One study was conducted at the University of Cornell, the other study was held at the University of Colorado. Cannabis the Miracle Plant Growing…
Did you know that bumble bees play ball? A new study at the Queen Mary University in London, UK showed that bumble bees don´t just work, – they also enjoy recreation time playing ball! The unprecedented discovery revealed that bumble bees may play to experience what humans call ´positive feelings´. The researchers placed 45 bumble…
Researchers have discovered that giant honeybees make Mexican waves. The discovery was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. It shows that the phenomenon also known as ¨shimmering¨ is a defense mechanism to deter predators. The shimmering behavior was observed in Asian giant honeybees, including Apis dorsata. These bees usually build open nests in open…
´Can Bees predict the weather?´ – There are many sayings about animals as weather forecasters, for example, ¨Birds flying high expect a clear sky. When they fly low, expect rain and a blow.¨ But what about honeybees? According to the famous scholar Aristotle they could, but is it really true? Beekeepers are probably the better…
A bacterial microbe can keep honeybees healthy, protecting them from poor nutrition according to a new study published in the International Society for Microbial Ecology Journal. Researchers from Indiana University discovered a specific bacterial microbe that can reduce the effects of nutritional stress on the developing brood. Limited nutrition together with other multiple stressors is…
Selective breeding protects honeybees from Varroa mites – The result of a new study at the University of Exeter has shown that a new breed of honeybees could be the solution for the global fight against varroa mites, the public enemy number one for honeybees. Background – Varroa Mites The tiny, reddish brown Varroa mites…