The rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) is an important pollinator in North America and a federally listed endangered species. Putting together its genome is part of the Beenome 100 project, a first-of-its-kind effort to create a library of high-quality, highly detailed genome maps of 100 or more diverse bee species found in the United States. […]
Tag: bumble bee
Pesticides Drifting to Unintended Flowers Could Harm Pollinators, Study Finds
Bees need a balanced diet of nectar, which gives them carbohydrates in the form of sugars, and pollen, which provides fat and protein, from a wide variety of plant sources. Different bee species have their own nutritional needs, but no healthy bee diet includes pesticides. According to new findings by scientists from Trinity College Dublin […]
Can we save the bees? Absolutely. Let’s start with the native species (commentary)
My name is Krystle Hickman. I’m a photographer, community scientist and public speaker based in Los Angeles, California. My photography revolves around three things: bees, the plants they visit and their ecosystems. As a community scientist I note behavior, times, dates and weather when out photographing bees and their flowers. Over many years, my notations […]
Wildlife garden ideas – 10 ways to transform your backyard into a nature-friendly plot
Wildlife garden ideas are having something of a moment. With many of us spending more time on our gardens, allotments and window-boxes at the moment, it’s the perfect opportunity to make a few changes to help our local wildlife as well. The sound of a robin singing at dusk can be breathtaking, and few things […]
Death by 1,000 cuts: Are major insect losses imperiling life on Earth?
Chances are, the works of the world’s insects touch your lips every day. The coffee or tea you savor, both are insect pollinated. Apples, oranges, cabbages, cashews, cherries, carrots, broccoli, watermelon, garlic, cinnamon, basil, sunflower seeds, almonds, canola oil — all are insect pollinated. Honey, dyes, even some vaccines require insects to come to fruition. […]
Remembering Summer Bees
I know everyone is busy with holiday preparation, so just a few words about some bees I saw in June. I’ve seen this bee before — it’s Bombusfervidus, commonly called the golden northern bumble bee. But it has always managed to fly away before I could take a photograph. I snuck up on this one […]
The Sunflower Bed & Breakfast
The nights are becoming chilly here in Brighton, Michigan, USA, but that doesn’t keep the insects from their foraging. After spending the warm days gathering pollen and drinking nectar they decide to spend the night on their dinner plate. I found three earwigs and a bumble bee on a mature sunflower atop an 8-foot tall […]
A Nice Surprise
It’s been a while since I last walked through Red House Farm, last night I walked the dog through the area and was pleased to find it carpeted in wild flowers. One in particular caught my attention. The Bee OrchidOphrys apifera. This was the first time I’ve seen this species, making it even more special […]