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…
Do honeybees poop? Of course! Bees are both, animals and insects. All animals with very few exceptions poop to get rid of undigested food waste. This is important because if the waste is kept inside, it can poison the body. If you are a nature watcher or beekeeper you may have seen honeybees poop, or…
First aid for bees may sound strange, but as cities have fewer green areas and flowers, spotting exhausted bees in parks or on the side of the road is not an uncommon sight. The bees are tired and lack energy because many cities have an insufficient diversity of plants for the bees to forage. Bees…
´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…
How can you identify the difference between bearding and swarming? Given that both events can look very similar, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the difference. Here’s a quick explanation of both bearding and swarming, as well as how to tell them apart. What is bearding? A beehive needs a stable temperature of 95…
Knowing honeybee activity by season is a prerequisite for every beekeeper from beginner to expert. It is important to know when honey can be harvested and when bees and the hive require more attention. Autumn In September, flowers are starting to fade away and nectar becomes less abundant. This means, the bees have to adapt…
Why do bees swarm? Most of us are familiar with the term ´a swarm of bees´, but what the fascinating phenomena of swarming actually entails is a mystery to many. Reasons for Swarming There are two reasons why bees swarm. First, swarming is a natural process that happens when a beehive gets too crowded. When…
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…