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Insects Might Be More Sensitive to Radiation than Thought
Insects Might Be More Sensitive to Radiation than Thought
A study of bumble bees exposed to levels of radiation equivalent to those existing in Chernobyl hotspots shows that the insects’ reproduction takes a hit.
Insects Might Be More Sensitive to Radiation than Thought
Insects Might Be More Sensitive to Radiation than Thought

A study of bumble bees exposed to levels of radiation equivalent to those existing in Chernobyl hotspots shows that the insects’ reproduction takes a hit.

A study of bumble bees exposed to levels of radiation equivalent to those existing in Chernobyl hotspots shows that the insects’ reproduction takes a hit.

bumble bees

bees, bumblebee, honeybee, insect, pollination, pollinator decline, insect decline, biodiversity
Bee Reports over the Past Century Indicate a Loss of Diversity
Asher Jones | Jan 22, 2021 | 8 min read
An analysis of museum data and naturalists' observations finds that the number of bee species recorded has been declining since the 1990s. The first global, long-term study of bee trends adds to mounting evidence that the pollinators are in trouble worldwide.
Climate Change Linked to Drop in Bumble Bee Numbers: Study
Lisa Winter | Feb 7, 2020 | 3 min read
The rate of population decline is outpacing the ability of the bees to find a new habitat.
Image of the Day: Corn Fed
Catherine Offord | Nov 29, 2018 | 1 min read
Bumblebee colonies grow poorly in landscapes dominated by maize, researchers find.
Pesticide Exposure Alters Bumblebees’ Behavior in Their Nests
Ruth Williams | Nov 8, 2018 | 3 min read
A high-tech approach to monitoring bee activity inside the nest reveals how the neonicotinoid imidacloprid impairs colony growth.
Bumblebees Fare Better in the City Than in the Countryside
Catherine Offord | Jun 27, 2018 | 2 min read
Urban colonies had more offspring, survived longer, and hosted fewer parasites.
EU States Vote to Ban Neonicotinoids
Diana Kwon | Apr 27, 2018 | 2 min read
The pesticides, which studies show are harmful to bees, will be prohibited in open fields by the end of 2018.
Bees’ Molecular Responses to Neonicotinoids Determined
Catherine Offord | Mar 22, 2018 | 4 min read
Researchers pinpoint a protein that can metabolize at least one of the insecticides, highlighting a route to identifying compounds that are friendlier to the critical pollinators.
Image of the Day: What Does a Bee See? 
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Dec 21, 2017 | 1 min read
Scientists identify floral temperature patterns as a sensory cue that may help bees identify flower species. 
Bees Live the City Life in Detroit
Catherine Offord | Sep 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Important pollinators under threat from habitat destruction, bumblebees may find refuge on vacant land throughout Michigan’s largest metropolis.
City Bees
The Scientist | Aug 31, 2017 | 1 min read
See the urban landscapes in Detroit where researchers are studying the fates of pollinators that adopt a metropolitan lifestyle.
More Details on How Pesticides Harm Bees
Diana Kwon | May 2, 2017 | 2 min read
Scientists report that thiamethoxam exposure impairs bumblebees’ reproduction and honey bees’ ability to fly.
In Certain Social Bees, Gut Microbiomes Follow Phylogeny
Ashley P. Taylor | Mar 29, 2017 | 3 min read
Corbiculate bees and their gut-dwelling microbes have been coevolving since the social species evolved from their solitary ancestors around 80 million years ago, scientists suggest. 
Bumblebees Detect One Another's Smelly Footprints
Diana Kwon | Mar 7, 2017 | 1 min read
Scents left behind by bumblebees may help them remember recently visited flowers. 
Behavior Brief
Diana Kwon | Feb 27, 2017 | 4 min read
A round-up of recent discoveries in behavior research
Analysis: Industry-Funded Honeybee Study Was “Misleading”
Joshua A. Krisch | Jan 23, 2017 | 2 min read
Statisticians debunk a 2013 study by scientists at a Swiss agrochemical company, which had reported that a neonicotinoid pesticide posed a low risk to honeybees.
 
First Bumblebee Species Declared Endangered in U.S.
Kerry Grens | Jan 11, 2017 | 2 min read
The federal government concludes the rusty patched bumblebee is nearing extinction.
How an Invasive Bee Managed to Thrive in Australia
Ben Andrew Henry | Jan 1, 2017 | 4 min read
The Asian honeybee should have been crippled by low genetic diversity, but thanks to natural selection it thrived.
Bumblebees’ Electric Sense
Tanya Lewis | May 31, 2016 | 3 min read
Tiny hairs may enable the insects to detect floral electric fields, according to a study.
Bumblebee Tongues Growing Shorter
Karen Zusi | Sep 28, 2015 | 2 min read
Two alpine bee species have evolved shorter tongues, adapting to floral declines related to climate change.
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