Save Bees

Save Bees

Pollinator Decline & How to Help our Bees
Digger Bee Love

Long-horned beeScientific articles & notable links

The more research that is done, the more we're learning about how bees are coping (individually and at population levels) in a world of accelerating change and environmental degradation. I'm particularly interested in current research around the effects on bees of pesticide use, climate change, and habitat loss. The links below include recent studies I've read, along with my (often opinionated!) take on the study.

A collection of interesting scientific articles about bees, highlighting challenges facing bees from pesticides, climate change, habitat loss, and more.

Pervasive sublethal effects of agrochemicals on insects at environmentally relevant concentrations

Findings included that many non-insecticides kill insects, and not always during the first day after they were exposed (a typical criterion for pesticide safety), instead dying in the following ten days. 57% of the pesticides tested affected the behaviour of insect larvae (including 382 non-insecticides), even though pesticide safety is typically only evaluated on adult bees. Additionally, effects of pesticides were amplified with small increases in temperature, killing no insects at 77°CF/25°C but killing 79% of them at 84.5°F/29°C.

Science
October 24th, 2024

Ingestible hydrogel microparticles improve bee health after pesticide exposure

Scientists figure out how to give managed bumble bees a cocktail to help them survive our pesticide apocalypse. Meanwhile, the rest of the insect kingdom is left to fend for itself. Anything to avoid looking at the hard problem of an ever-more contaminated biosphere.

Nature Sustainability
September 5th, 2024

Extreme heat exposure of host plants indirectly reduces solitary bee fecundity and survival

Solitary bees feeding on common bee-friendly flowers (white clover, blueberry, and phacelia) laid around 70% fewer eggs, when those flowers were previously exposed for 4 hours to extreme heat (99.5°F/37.5°C). Their offspring went on to live shorter lives (with delayed emergence from cocoons) after consuming heat-stressed pollen.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B
June 19th, 2024

Robotic Pollination of Apples in Commercial Orchards

A demonstration of robotic pollination as a solution to pollinator losses. To think we can replace pollination—a process bees have honed over at least 120 million years—and call it a solution (one involving yet more energy use and emissions)? Let’s call it what it is, astonishing hubris destroying the web of life.

Washington State University
January 31st, 2024

Wild lawn with clover, dandelions, other flowers

What can I do to help?

Offer local bees a diverse banquet during all temperate seasons of the year (generally bees are active from early spring through late autumn).

  • Plants to choose for your area
  • Tips on sourcing bee-friendly plants
  • Creating native wildflower meadows

Help feed the bees 🌻

Offer spots for bees to live, plus any raw building materials. Create a perfect habitat for bees in your garden, balcony, workplace, or community.

  • Operating your own "bee hotel"
  • Creating your own "bee bank"
  • Observation boxes for solitary bees

Make homes for bees 🏡

I'm currently on hiatus from social media.
Sign up for my email missive if you'd like!