Specialization and adaptation in pollen sterol use by wild bees Sterols are stabilizing components of membranes and hormone precursors in eukaryotes. Honeybees incorporate a subset of pollen-derived sterols into th…

Specialization & adaptation in pollen sterol use by wild bees - our new paper in iScience. 56 bee species analyzed to determine which pollen sterols they use. The data suggest an ecological rather than phylogenetic driver of bee sterol composition @rbgkew.bsky.social www.cell.com/iscience/pdf...

It’s OK to love all the bees (the honey bees, too) The accusations you might have heard about nonnative honey bees aren’t backed up by evidence. In fact, there are plenty of ways bees make the world a better place.

It's ok to love all bees.

theconversation.com/its-ok-to-lo...

#science #bees #pollination #ecology

Estimating global bee species richness and taxonomic gaps - Nature Communications Bees are crucial for the maintenance of healthy ecosystems, yet rigorous estimates of their species’ richness are lacking. This study estimates taxonomic gaps for bees around the world and provides a ...

New paper alert! "Estimating global bee species richness and taxonomic gaps" suggests that we have thousands of bee species left to describe and decades of taxonomic work ahead of us. We also provide the methods needed to apply more broadly :)
doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Life-history stage determines the diet of ectoparasitic mites on their honey bee hosts - Nature Communications Varroa and Tropilaelaps mites threaten honeybee health. This study finds that mites alter feeding habits depends on their own, and hosts’, life history stage. Mites feed on the host hemolymph when par...

Life-history stage determines the diet of ectoparasitic mites on their honey bee hosts

Han et al. 2024 - turns out Varroa mites do feed on hemolymph, not just fat bodies
doi.org/10.1038/s414...

#honeybees #beekeeping #varroa #science

Temperature as an early warning signal of honeybee colony failure How to identify ecological systems at risk of failure is a central question of modern biology and agriculture. Due to human impacts and global change,…

Temperature as an early warning signal of honeybee colony failure

Colin et al 2025 - a single temperature sensor is enough to identify dying bee colonies remotely

#honeybees #beekeeping #globalchange #science

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Effects of weather and colony size on water collection in honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies Honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies collect water primarily for thermoregulation and larval food production. Although the mechanism underlying the reg…

Effects of weather and colony size on water collection in honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies

Le Bivic et al 2025 - clarifies water requirements of honeybee colonies in a tunnel

#bee #honeybee #science #beekeeping #Apismellifera #climatechange

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"despite the low degree of confidence in available data, policy-makers have begun to ban managed bees from conservation areas or cities"

"Despite more than 200 scientific papers addressing managed bee–wild bee interactions, and 66% concluding that there are potential risks to wild bees, evidence remains circumstantial, contextual, and does not include long-term and population-level assessments"

Avenues towards reconciling wild and managed bee proponents

Beaurepaire et al. 2025

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Bee research is unfortunately not exempt from that.

Observation of Tropilaelaps mercedesae on Western honey bees exiting colonies

Tokach et al 2025

#bee #mites #honeybee #acarology #apidologie #beeresearch #science

academic.oup.com/jee/article/...

What would be your ideal design to test this?

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and wild bee resource competition: how big is this problem? Abstract. The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) has been managed by humans for centuries for honey, wax, and most recently, crop pollination. The deep

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and wild bee resource competition: how big is this problem?

Spoiler: not a very big problem.

Pike & Rittschof 2025

doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

#apidologie #beeresearch #beescience #science #biology #environment #beekeeping #bees

Australian honeybees are under attack by mites and beetles. Here’s how to keep your backyard hive safe Varroa mites and small hive beetles are threatening Australian honey producers. Here’s how backyard beekeepers, and everyday honey lovers, can help.

Varroa mites are spreading across Australia—posing a serious threat to honeybee colonies. Here's what beekeepers can do to protect their hives.

#bee #honeybees #varroa #australia #agriculture

theconversation.com/australian-h...

Short-term heat exposure at sublethal temperatures reduces sperm quality in males of a solitary bee species, Osmia cornifrons - Apidologie Increased temperature variability and extreme weather events associated with climate change can be detrimental to bees and lead to their population declines. While there is some research on the effect...

Short-term heat exposure at sublethal temperatures reduces sperm quality in males of a solitary bee species, Osmia cornifrons

Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati et al. 2024

#bee #apidologie #osmia #globalwarming #beeresearch #science

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The Southern Giant Hornet (Vespa soror) has been detected in Europe for the first time.

Sánchez et al 2024

Early Alarm on the First Occurrence of the Southern Giant Hornet Vespa soror du Buysson, 1905 (Vespidae) in Europe

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

go.bsky.app/Gq3vvkj
Don't miss this Bumble bee research starter pack!

go.bsky.app/5oenknG
Thanks Natasha!
@ndevere.bsky.social

In-Hive Flatbed Scanners for Non-Destructive, Long-Term Monitoring of Honey Bee Brood, Pathogens and Pests.

Borlinghaus et al 2024.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Graphical abstract of science paper 'bumble bee damage plant leaves and accelerate flower production' with a list of the authors on a grey background. On the left is a watercolour illustration of a bumble bee damaging a plant leaf with the description 'when hungry for pollen, bumble bees use their mouthparts and mandibles to damage plant leaves'. this illustration is connected by a orange arrow to a watercolour drawing of a flowering yellow black mustard plant with a bumble bee. This has the description: 2) the damage inflicted by bees causes plants to flower earlier than paired control plants.

🌟 Throwback to my 2020 research published in @science.org 🌼🐝We showed how bumble bees actively shape their environment—making plants flower earlier to meet their needs. Nature’s engineers in action!🧪🌏
Sharing this for anyone who missed it—let’s dive in![1/17] 👇

🐝 We're currently advertising three PhD projects to study bees at Bristol University, UK. Two focus on foraging behaviour, ecology & nutrition, one on parasitic bees and their impact on indigenous stingless beekeeping in Peru.

Feel free to share: www.socialinsect-research.com/opportunitie...

And another starter pack for bee people. Who am I missing here? go.bsky.app/3sLLXsG Happy to get the list growing and spread the word.

Managing the parasitic honey bee mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae through combined cultural and chemical control methods - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Managing the parasitic honey bee mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae through combined cultural and chemical control methods

Managing the parasitic honey bee mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae through combined cultural and chemical control methods

Tokach et al 2024

Suggests brood breaks or brood breaks + oxalic acid are effective treatments; brood breaks + formic acid reduces bee population.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A novel farmland wildflower seed mix attracts a greater abundance and richness of pollinating insects than standard mixes Our novel WB mix attracted the highest wild bee abundance and richness, and attracted significantly more bumblebees than a commonly used Fabaceae-heavy mix. WB mix attracted significantly greater so...

A novel farmland wildflower seed mix attracts a greater abundance and richness of pollinating insects than standard mixes

Nichols et al 2022

resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

(old but gold)

Heatwave-like events affect drone production and brood-care behaviour in bumblebees

Sepúlveda et al 2024

peerj.com/articles/171...

European beekeepers’ interest in digital monitoring technology adoption for improved beehive management This study investigates the adoption of Digital Beehive Monitoring Technology (DBMT) based on a survey with 844 beekeepers across 18 European countrie…

European beekeepers’ interest in digital monitoring technology adoption for improved beehive management

Verbeke et al 2024

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Apply For Funding — Project Apis m.

Applied honeybee research funding opportunity: Project Apis m.

www.projectapism.org/apply-for-fu...

Lactic acid treatment on infested honey bees works through a local way of action against Varroa destructor - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Lactic acid treatment on infested honey bees works through a local way of action against Varroa destructor

Lactic acid treatment on infested honey bees works through a local way of action against Varroa destructor

Vilarem et al 2024

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The impact of pollination requirements, pollinators, landscape and management practices on pollination in sweet and sour cherry: A systematic review Insect-mediated pollination is crucial for global production of multiple pollinator-dependent crops, including high-value crops like sweet and sour ch…

The impact of pollination requirements, pollinators, landscape and management practices on pollination in sweet and sour cherry: A systematic review

Osterman et al 2024

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...