The slow transition to spring has affected pest insects and their predators, but a discussion of beneficial insects is always relevant. Solitary bees are not often the subject of scrutiny or even interest, the concern over the health and decline of pollinator population seems to be solely focused on hive bees while those solitary species in…
Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have been awarded a 6.9 million dollar grant by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop sustainable pollination strategies for the country’s specialty crops. In this country specialty crops account for 50 billion dollars per year for the agricultural industry and pollination is critical to fruit set…
With the decline of wild habitat to support pollinators it should come as no small surprise that bees are swarming urban areas in search of high-quality, diverse food sources. Research by Gordon Frankie, urban entomologist at the University of California Berkeley, is probing the question of how often bees are foraging in urban areas. He…
National Pollinator Week, celebrated from June 16 through the 22 this year, was initiated by the Pollinator Partnership and unanimously approved by the Senate seven years ago. This marked an important step in addressing the desperate issue of pollinator population decline. This week has now grown to be an international celebration of the necessary role…
Strange Suspect There has been a lot of talk on this blog about colony collapse, pollinator problems and the various causal factors. It would seem there is a convergence of issues affecting pollinator populations today, which may on their own or, more likely, combined, are contributing to the stress and reduction of honey bees and pollinator…
