Honeybee-news

Apiarists hope to breed a better bee

06 Feb 10 By Rob Rogers
After losing as many as a third of their bees in the past two years, Marin County's beekeepers are taking radical steps - including breeding a better bee - to save their remaining hives from destruction. "The shift in population has been staggeringly negative," said M.E.A. McNeil-Draper, a San Anselmo beekeeper. "We need to be more vigilant about what we're doing, in less chemical ways."

Expect to Pay More — a Lot More — for Almonds This Year

06 Feb 10 By Kim Flottum
Honey bees are more scarce than at any point in three bad years, which means almond growers are paying top dollar for pollination ... which means you'll pay top dollar for almonds.

For more than 50 years, beekeepers have been taking bees to the almond orchards of California. For the first 25 years or so, almonds were simply a place to go for California beekeepers early in the season. A few from nearby states came over too, pollinated, and left. When done, they took a pittance for their trouble and went home. It was a simple game.

Beekeepers Turn Out to Support Repeal of NYC Bee Ban

04 Feb 10 By Ilene Rosen
Local beekeepers have been abuzz since the Board of Health decided to consider overturning the city's decade-old ban on beekeeping, and on Wednesday they got the chance to make their case. Since 1999, honeybees have been on a list with prohibited animals along with wolves, pumas and venomous snakes, and hive owners faced fines of up to $2,000. This past December, the board considered amending the ban after a study said honeybees posed a limited risk for New Yorkers.

Good news for honeybees - Colony collapse disorder update

04 Feb 10 By FRITZ MAYER
REGION — Thinking about raising honeybees this year? If so, you’re not alone. One beneficial effect of colony collapse disorder (CCD), that mysterious malady that has been causing honeybees to abandon their hives never to return, is that extensive media coverage over the past couple of years has prompted many people to give the natural world a boost by keeping a few hives of their own.

Sugar gives bee brains a buzz

02 Feb 10 By ABC Rural
Trained bees may be part of the future of horticulture. A study by the Brain Institute at the University of Queensland has found the honey bee's brain works by committing important smells to memory, and forgetting the rest.

A passion for science on film

31 Jan 10 By Katie Thompson
Eliza McNitt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and scientist — and no, she's not a graduate student. McNitt is a Tisch freshman. McNitt arrived at NYU this fall with prizes from the Connecticut Science Fair and the International Science and Engineering Fair already under her belt. A double major in film and television and environmental studies, McNitt has established herself as an accomplished filmmaker with her eclectic interests and natural storytelling ability.

Bees recognize human faces using feature configuration

29 Jan 10 By Avargues-Weber
Going about their day-to-day business, bees have no need to be able to recognise human faces. Yet in 2005, when Adrian Dyer from Monash University trained the fascinating insects to associate pictures of human faces with tasty sugar snacks, they seemed to be able to do just that. But Martin Giurfa from the Université de Toulouse, France, suspected that that the bees weren't learning to recognise people.