#bee research

Standing in his laboratory, Harvard professor Sean Eddy gazes at a row of vacant work stations. More than a year ago, this lab was filled with over a dozen researchers. On a given day they might be working independently on analyzing genomic sequencing or gathered around the group table, drinking coffee and helping each other troubleshoot questions about genomic data from different species.

Now, after his funding was terminated under the Trump administration, the computer screens are gone and the room is silent. He's one of the last people left.

Andrea Gruver is studying bees along the Metra rail line to see how urbanization impacts their livelihood. What have you noticed in your neighborhood?

The plants you see from your train seat on the Metra Union Pacific North line may help conservation scientists learn about how urban areas impact native bees.

Although most people think of honeybees when they think about bees, there are more than 4,000 native bee species in the United States and 500 species in Illinois alone. Like their honeybee counterparts, native bees are undergoing global…

Research Network to Take Comprehensive Look at Bee Health

A new research network will be taking a multifaceted look at ways to improve bee health. The project is being made possible through a $900,000 grant from the University of California’s Office of the President. Researchers and engineers from Riverside, Davis, San Diego, and Merced campuses will all be participating in the effort. “We actually brought together a variety of different people that…

Solitary female bees inspect other nests for signs of danger before making decisions on where to build their own, a new London-based study suggests.

The study, led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, found the clever bees looked for signs of parasite infection in other species' nests and used this information to select a safe place to bring up their own brood.

The research team set up artificial nests in parks and grasslands across South East England and London from 2016-2018 to study the behaviours of different species of solitary cavity-nesting mason bees.

The scientists also tested the ability for these species to notice other cues of parasite infection in the surrounding environment.

They showed that solitary bees were surprisingly intelligent in their observations and were able to remember geometric symbols found next to parasitised nests, and avoid nests near these symbols in future breeding periods.

BREIF: HYPE NARRITIVE- RESEARCHING ABOUT BEE’S

I watched various documentaries, movies and reading articles in order to find  mind-blowing facts about regarding bee’s. Below are the most important information I discovered: 

What is a bee?

A stinging winged insect that collects pollen to produce wax and honey while working within a large community. 

What do bee’s symbolise? 

The bee symbolises community, brightness, personal power and productivity. 

What is the importance of bee’s?

Foods such as fruits, vegetables and dairy all reply highly on pollination in order for crops to grow. Without crops milk won't be produced as much meaning that there would be a stop to dairy products and maybe even cows as a species due to the fact they can't eat. A world without bee’s also means that pollenated plants would be lost, this includes cotton plants; this would effect the clothing industry as one of the main materials for t-shirts being cotton would stop being produced. The £300 million farming industry would suffer due to there not being as many crops to harvest and sell meaning over £60,000 would be lost per farmer a year. Finally, after researching I found that the human race would starve because of loss of food. This proves that bee’s are important and without them things would change drastically. 

Should bee’s be able to fly? 

No. French entomologist August Magnan noted that bee’s go against all physics laws when flying as it’s “physically impossible” that an insect that has such tiny wings in comparison to it’s body should be able to fly. The force opposite to gravity called lift allows the bee to fly. As a bee beats it’s wings it flips them over to flap them in a figure of 8. This means that the bee is pushing it’s wings through the air twice as it beats it’s wings up to 200 times per second.