(Natural News) A recent study found that bumblebees, the plump, fuzzy relatives of honey bees, are actually heavy lifters, able to fly back to their hive with almost their own body weight in nectar. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) showed that bees can fly using an “economy mode” that uses […]

(Natural News) From spring through summer, both bumblebees and honeybees can be observed visiting the same flowers. Yet interestingly enough, these two bee species do not compete with each other for resources. And scientists know why. In a study published early this month, researchers at the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at England’s University of […]

(Natural News) They say we need them to grow enough food for everyone on the planet. But the irony is that continuing to use them is actually killing off the bees and other pollinators we absolutely need to even grow food at all. Pesticides are what we’re talking about, here, and new research out of […]

(Natural News) The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has claimed another victim — the honey industry. Travel restrictions have been enacted across China, as a preventive measure against the spread of the new, dreaded disease. The restrictions, which some have decried as “hardcore,” include sealing off roads and implementing approval systems for interregional transportation. Other containment measures include shutting […]

(Natural News) If you’re buying your honey from domestic apiaries and suppliers, there’s a high chance that you are contributing to the continued eradication of wild bumblebees, according to scientists. According to a group of scientists from the University of Vermont (UVM) and the University of Florida, a spillover of viruses from domesticated honey bees […]

(Natural News) The next time a person encounters a bug in his garden, he may want to rein in his reflexive response of crushing it like a, well, bug. Some of these critters fulfill beneficial roles such as delivering pollen to flowers and devouring actual pest species. Start with the praying mantis, one of the […]

(Natural News) There is a reason why residents of Ontario haven’t seen many American bumblebees (Bombus pensylvanicus) in recent years. Canadian researchers warned that the once-common and vital pollinators are teetering on the brink of extinction. A recent study discovered that the Canadian population of the bumblebee species has reached the point of imminent local extinction. […]

(Natural News) Pollinators are crucial to food production around the globe. In the U.S. alone, at least a third of all agricultural output hinges on pollinators. According to a fascinating study, having pollinators like wild bees is crucial to the production of larger blueberries. The study was published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment and conducted by […]

(Natural News) A video camera-controlling robot was used to record the negative effects of neonicotinoids on bumblebees. The Harvard-designed machine was able to record and show the disruptive effects of the pesticides on the way the bees behaved, interacted with other members of their nest, and regulated their body temperature. Bees are in serious danger from widely used […]

(Natural News) Wildflowers are often considered as eyesores in well-maintained lawns. But according to a study, wildflowers can be used to protect strawberry crops and attract pollinator bees in farms. The study, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, was conducted by researchers from Cornell University. Can wildflowers attract bumblebees and protect crops? Sustainable […]