Indiana Bee Survey a Mixed Bag
Interesting repot out of Indiana that is not quite what we have been seeing in other states.
Researchers Develop New Methodology to Detect Problems with Honey Bees
We may be one step closer to addressing problems on honey bee hives in real-time.
Maine Reports a Much Better Year for Honey Bees
Great news for honey bees in Maine!
Major Data Company Promotes Better Bee Health by Advanced Analytics
This is amazing.
Murder Hornets Arrive in United States
Murder hornets are here and they are looking to decimate the honey bee population in the United States.
New Virus Plagues Honey Bees in Britain
Another nasty virus surfaces that is decimating hives in the UK.
Virus Can Turn Honey Bees into Trojan Horse for Their Hives
With IAPV, sick bees are somehow able to get past the guards and into the hive to spread infection.
Dead Bees in Spain Raise New Concerns
Massive piles of dead bees on Spain have brought to light another concern related to the coronavirus. Read more…
Warm Winters Taking a Toll on Honey Bee Populations
Over the last few days, I have been seeing a lot of articles and studies about how climate change is impacting honey bees. Now, I would not really consider this particular concern a climate change issue, because we have always had pockets of warm days in the winter, sometimes more than others. The problem now…
New Problem for Bees… Massive Heat Spikes
Climate change could be having a very massive and negative impact on pollinators. Read more…
UT Researchers Developing Bacteria to Help Save Honey Bees
Researchers at the University of Texas have major breakthrough to fight against the Varroa mite. Read more…
Want to Help Bees? Plant These Plants in YOUR Yard
We can all do our part, even if it just planting a few new plants to provide food for our bees. Read more…
Neonics Harmful to More Than Honey Bees
Maybe this well start to get people’s attention! Read more…
EPA Introduces New Pesticide to Prevent Wax Moths from Damaging Honeycombs
Great news for beekeepers battling problems with the wax moth. Read more…
Urgent Honey Bee Disease Warning Issued in California
It was only yesterday we made a post about American Foulbrood and a possible treatment. Today, count officials in San Mateo announced there is a possible outbreak of the disease in the area. They are telling local beekeepers to keep an eye out for the disease within their hives. There has already been one confirmed…
Penn State Solar Power Initiative Will Benefit Pollinators
There is a new solar project underway at Penn State University. The new 70-megawatt solar project will not only provide 25 percent of PSU’s electricity for the next two decades, but it will also provide a new home for local pollinators. In all, more than 150,000 solar panels will be installed over 50 acres, land…
European Honey Production in Sharp Decline
Just as the honey industry here in the United States has been impacted by massive losses to honey bee hives, so has honey production throughout Europe. Honey producers all over Europe are reporting numbers that are at or near record lows. In some cases, honey production is only a small fraction of what it was…
Beekeepers Trying to Breed a Varroa-Resistant Honey Bee
We all know how dangerous pesticides are to our honey bee friends and we also know how challenging this past winter has been to them. There is a third problem for the honey bee that does not seem to be going away anytime soon, and that is the Varroa mite. This, however, is something beekeepers…
Hotels Doing Their Part to Save Honey Bees
There is a growing trend working its way around this country in the hospitality industry. This new “trend” is for hotels to have their own beehives. While some hotels are hosting their own hives for the obvious reason, many are doing it simply because it is the right thing to do. The Radisson Blu Mall…
Swedish McDonald’s Creating Bee Hotels from Billboards
The “green” world is about all repurposing, but this is taking it to an extreme, a very good extreme! Our little friend the honey bee has a new place to stay, at least in Sweden. McDonald’s throughout the country is using its billboard space to create a home for honey bees, in essence, creating honey…
New Hives Could Help Save Honey Bees
Over the last decade, the Varroa mite has been decimating honey bee hives. Many believe more than anything else, this parasite is responsible for the colony collapse disorder. This past winter has put more stress on honey bee populations, with beekeepers reporting record losses after the winter, with some businesses being completely wiped out. Could…
New Insect Found Capable of Killing Bees
In a rather eye-opening report, researchers found honey bees may be in danger from insecticides used on crops other than the crops they are actually pollinating. This is an area we have not yet really seen explored, but this study presents a significant challenge for crops where the honey bee and mealybug cross paths. What…
Can Bees Be Bred to Resist the Varroa Mite?
It is no secret beekeepers throughout the world are struggling to keep their hives healthy. On a regular basis, beekeepers are fighting pesticides, weather, and sloppy newcomer practices, all of which are leading to record losses in recent years. In addition to those problems, there is one more challenge that may, in fact, be the…
Senator Chuck Schumer Critical of Honey Bee Survey Cuts
Recently, the federal government decided to cut funding for what bee advocates consider to be a vital study on the honey bee population. Due to the problems with the colony collapse disorder as well as weather problems that have created more honey bee loss than usual over the winter, even missing a single year of…
Devastating Disease Hits West Tennessee Honey Bee Population
As if our honey bees do not have enough challenges already, now a new disease has popped up that is capable of wiping out entire colonies. American Foulbrood is running rampant in Tennessee and it has more than a few beekeepers hitting the panic button. The disease can literally destroy an entire colony if it…
Experts Warn Current Decline in Honey Bee Population Unsustainable
The decline of honey bee populations over this past winter is beginning to get the attention of scientists around the world, and that is not exactly a good thing. The reason so much attention is being paid to the subject is that these experts believe we may truly have a crisis on our hands that…
Honey Bee Data Collection Suspended in United States
Budget cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will now further add to the plight of the honey bee here in the United States. On Saturday, it was announced that the USDA has “suspended data collection for its annual Honey Bee Colonies report.” Bee advocates are already hitting the panic button, as this is…
Bumblebees Facing Honey Bee Virus Problems
Something beekeepers have feared for some time may finally be happening. New reports have revealed that the bumblebee community may now be facing the same virus problems that are decimating the honey bee community. If this is happening, two major pollinators are now facing significant danger and possible extinction in years to come. Sound the…
Beekeepers Report Record Honey Bee Colonies Lost during Winter
Sadly, it seems as though every time another report comes out on the state of the honey bee, it is just more bad news. A new survey released by the Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) is offering more of the same. According to the group’s latest survey, U.S. beekeepers are estimated to have lost roughly 40…
EPA Cancels Registration of Harmful Pesticides
Beekeepers were awarded a huge victory last week when the EPA effectively banned a dozen pesticides believed to be harmful to honeybees. The cancellations went into effect on May 20 for the dozen pesticides being produced by Bayer, Syngenta, and Valent. The measure was actually part of an agreement that has been reached last December…
Study Says One Neonicotinoid Insecticide Might Not Harm Honey Bee Colonies
As it can be easy to surmise at this point, the rising loss of honey bee colonies throughout the U.S. and the world is the result of multiple stressors, such as pesticides, habitat loss, climate change, malnutrition, viruses, and parasites, coming together in fatal combinations. Because of the seriousness surrounding the decline of honey bees,…
Massive Honey Bee Hive Losses Hit Beekeepers and Almond Growers
The blooming of California’s almond groves occurs all at once, and with it comes an influx of beekeepers and their honey bee hives to pollinate the countless pale white flowers. For Bret Adee, a veteran beekeeper, he’s already hustling to get his bees ready for almond pollination before moving them to the orchards in California’s…
Labrador Trained to Sniff Out Devastating Honey Bee Disease
According to assistant professor Michelle Nappier with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, dogs “have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, versus only about six million for us. The part of their brains dedicated to interpreting smell is about 40 times larger than ours.” For this reason, dogs are perfect for inspecting…
Argentina Loses Around 30 Percent of Honey Bee Population Yearly
As per the Center of Investigation on Social Bees (CIAS), despite being the world’s second largest honey producer, Argentina’s honey bee population is dying at a roughly 30 percent rate every year. As well, 2018 proved how much the Argentine economy depends on exports and crops, as recent terrible droughts caused it to lose seven…
Vermont’s Bumblebees Hurting as Much as Honey Bees
After examining a century of bumblebee records, a newly published study in the Journal of Insect Conservation has revealed that nearly half of the species in the state of Vermont, all of which are crucial pollinators like their honey bee cousins, are either in severe decline or have vanished entirely. This study, which was led…
Pesticides Could Affect a Honey Bee’s Social Behavior
While research into neonicotinoid pesticides, which have proven to be harmful to pollinators like honey bees, has brought about many new revelations, scientists announced recent findings that provide new insight into how these pesticides affect the declining pollinating species around the world. It turns out exposure to a specific neonicotinoid pesticide called imidacloprid causes complex…
Zika-Fighting Pesticides Could Greatly Hurt Honey Bee Colonies
According to research performed by the University of California in Berkeley and the University of Exeter, as much as 13 percent of beekeepers in the United States are at risk of losing their honey bee colonies as a result of pesticides sprayed for fighting the Zika virus. This disease, known for affecting unborn children via…
Rhode Island Beekeeper Promoting Honey Bee Preservation
As many have likely heard, U.S. honey bees have been declining at an unprecedented rate for the last ten years, with a recent USDA report stating honey production was down almost ten percent in 2017 when compared to 2016. With beekeepers reporting 40 percent colony losses on average, it’s going to take large-scale changes as…
How to Bring Bees Back to Your Garden
As many know, honeybees and other bee species are essential parts of our ecosystems in addition to being a crucial part of many world economies, including our own here in the United States. However, with colony collapse disorder (CCD) and various other factors, particularly pesticide overuse, diseases, and parasites, rearing their ugly heads, there has…
Have Researchers Found the Cure for Colony Collapse Disorder?
Since beekeepers seem to be at war with chemical companies and the EPA seems to be bending its rules a bit more regarding pesticides and bees, it is great to hear researchers may have solved the colony collapse disorder problem all on their own. Amazingly, they have come up with a way to help bees…