By Brian Barth The first of those is straightforward enough, and the second two are taken care of by planting nectar-rich flowers that bloom over a long period of the year. The foliage itself provides habitat—most insect pollinators like dense vegetation in which they can hide from predators and lay eggs—and the flowers provide the […]
A rare orchid’s unique pollination strategy could be imperiled by climate change in Britain, The Guardian reported Thursday. The early spider orchid, or Ophrys sphegodes, imitates the scent of the female mining bee, or Andrena nigroaenea. This confuses male mining bees, who attempt to mate with the orchids and spread their pollen in the process. […]
A study published Thursday in Current Biology is being hailed in a University of Exeter press release as a major “breakthrough” in developing bee-friendly insecticides. But some environmentalists think the research is asking the wrong questions to begin with. Pesticide Action Network UK Director Keith Tyrell told DW that focusing only on bee-safe pesticides was […]
With the mass die-off of bees spelling trouble for agriculture, the world’s largest retailer has filed patents for the use of “unmanned vehicles,” or drones, to aid with pollination and crop production. In U.S. Patent Office documents made public last week, Walmart has applied for six patents on drones designed to identify pest damage, spray […]
A new scorecard released Tuesday finds that 20 out of 25 top food retailers fail to protect bees and people from toxic pesticides. The report, Swarming the Aisles II, shows that while supermarkets have made some general commitments to sustainability and social responsibility, most have failed to take steps to reduce pesticide use in their […]
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in a new assessment that “most uses” of three widely used neonicotinoids—imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam—pose a risk to wild bees and honeybees, which play a crucial role in pollination across the globe. The conclusion, based on analysis of more than 1,500 studies, will likely prompt a total ban […]
A judge has ordered the California Department of Food and Agriculture to stop using chemical pesticides in its statewide program until the agency complies with state environmental laws. The injunction, issued late last week, is a sweeping victory for 11 public-health, conservation, citizen and food-safety groups and the city of Berkeley. The coalition sued the […]
Two boys were charged with killing more than a half million bees at a honey business in Iowa last month. “All of the beehives on the honey farm were destroyed and approximately 500,000 bees perished in the frigid temperatures,” Sioux City police said in a release. The suspects, a 12 and 13 year old, allegedly […]
By Dan Nosowitz All species evolve over time to have distinct preferences for survival. But with rapidly changing synthetic chemicals, sometimes animals don’t have a chance to develop a beneficial aversion to something harmful. New research from the University of Illinois indicates that honey bees—which are dying en masse—may actually prefer the taste of flowers […]
Advertiser Disclosure
Our editorial team is committed to creating independent and objective content focused on helping our readers make informed decisions. To help support these efforts we receive compensation from companies that advertise with us.
The compensation we receive from these companies may impact how and where products appear on this site. This compensation does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides within our content. We do not include all companies, products or offers that may be available.
558k 
222k 
52k 
Subscribe 
