Leafcutter bees are a unique species of solitary bee, from the genus Megachile and Megachilidae family. These fascinating insects are important pollinators for a variety of plants and work with great efficiency. They get their name from their habit of cutting out semi-circular pieces of leaves. What do they look like? Leafcutter bees vary…
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…
´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…
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…
Bee colonies are threatened by a new variant of a dangerous virus. A team of international scientists discovered a worldwide increase of a new variant of the dangerous deformed wing virus (DWV) that infects honeybees. Transmitted by the Varroa mite, the virus causes a degeneration (atrophy) of the wings that results in death. The Varroa…