Articles for tag: agricultural biodiversity, bee population loss, butterfly decline, climate change pollinators, farming and pollinators, pesticides and pollinators, pollinator conservation, pollinator crisis, pollinator decline, U.S. farms pollinators

The Economics of Pollination Services

Why Pollinators Are Declining Across U.S. Farms

Jan Otte

Walk through any farm field in America, and you’ll notice fewer buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies than in decades past. Pollinators, the tiny workforce responsible for fertilizing crops that feed millions, are in serious trouble. Scientists warn that their decline threatens everything from almond orchards in California to blueberry farms in Maine. Pesticide use, habitat ...

Bumblebee nest

Social Distancing in Bumblebee Colonies: A Natural Defense Against Wax Moths

April Joy Jovita

Bumblebee colonies face numerous threats, including parasitic infestations by the bumblebee wax moth (Aphomia sociella). Recent research highlights how physical distance from honeybee apiaries can significantly reduce infestation rates, offering a natural form of protection for these vital pollinators. This discovery underscores the strategic hive placement in safeguarding bumblebee populations. The Threat of Bumblebee Wax ...

A bumble bee on a flower

Bumble Bee Queens Take Strategic Breaks in Egg-Laying

April Joy Jovita

A new study from the University of California, Riverside has revealed that bumbkle bee queens take intentional breaks from egg-laying, likely to conserve energy and ensure colony survival. This deiscovery challenges previous assumptions that queens continuosly produce offsprig without interruption. By understanding the reproductive rhythms of these important pollinators, scientists hope to gain insights into ...