Honeybees have been considered generalists when selecting flowering plants; in other words, they can use a wide range of different plants. However, recent research has shown that honeybees are quite selective. “Honeybees choose certain plants as their food resources, and these choices differ among time points…

Scientists at Nottingham Trent University have identified the “signature” walk of a 1mm mite and using hi-tech monitoring equipment have been able to distinguish it from honeybees in a colony. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports. The team says the work paves for…

Have you spotted a swarm of flying insects emerging from a wall? Or noticed a buzzing noise coming from inside the house? If this sounds familiar, a colony of European honeybees (Apis mellifera) may be making their home in your walls. Why does this happen, and what…

Research indicates that honeybees cluster together when temperatures drop, a behavior that has been misunderstood in beekeeping for over a century. The prevailing belief was that clustering provided bees with evolutionary insulation against the cold. However, my recent research reveals that this clustering behavior is…

A Leeds researcher is keen to help beekeepers shape their practices following his study which appears to disprove the widespread belief that honeybees naturally insulate their colonies against the cold. His findings suggest that the creatures are potentially being subjected to thermally-induced stress. University of…

Scientists have shown that honeybees retain a memory of the dominant linear landscape elements in their home area like channels, roads, and boundaries. When transported to an unfamiliar area, they seek out local elements of this kind, compare their layout to the memory, and fly…