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Monday, February 21, 2011
Recent Discovery
Europe
In Britain and the Netherlands, both bees and plants are disappearing. Scientists are unsure if, bees disappeared first or the plants. Both disappearing trends of bees and plants are having a great impact on the crops and wild species. Dr. Koos Biesmeijer of the University of Leeds in Britain and his colleagues have conducted research and found that 80 percent of the bee population has fallen since 1980. The research also shows that most of the bee species are declining or have become extinct.
In Scotland, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has started a new project to try and save the endangered bumblebee. They have hired a specially trained cocker spaniel to find any rare bumblebees. The organization hopes to discover the amount of bumblebees that remain and find solutions on how to save them.
Environmentalist website, www.Celsias.com, has conducted research projects and has written numerous articles about the disappearance of bees. Their latest article reported that Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Poland, and possibly the United Kingdom have all experienced the declination of bees. In most of these countries bee withdrawal is, at this point, only affecting the beekeepers. Beekeepers in these countries are worried that the problem will spread and affect other aspects of the country like in the United States.
Spain is home to a quarter of the European Union’s bees, with 2.3 million hives. Scientists have said that 50 percent of the hives are infected with a new parasite that is killing the hives. Scientist, Mariano Higes, and his colleagues have studied hives in many countries and have found that a parasite common in Asian bees have been the reason for the disappearance of bees. In a laboratory experiment, the parasite, nosema ceranae found in Asian bees, can kill the European honeybee within a matter of days. Higes states that this parasite is far more dangerous than any other possible reason for the disappearance of bees. He also said that the hive can become infected within 2 months and within 6 to 18 months, the whole colony can disappear. Mr. Higes and his team have traveled across the world to do research and found that the parasite has gone into Austria, Slovenia, Canada, and Argentina.
Antigua
In Antigua, the disappearance of bees is affecting the production of honey, one of Antigua’s main exports. Scientists are positive that the disappearance is a result of the varroa mites infecting the bees. The mites came into Antigua from a shipment of construction pipes. This has caused Antigua to struggle in completing orders of honey. Not only does the shortage of honey affect the economy of Antigua but it also affects the countries that rely on the importation of honey from Antigua.
In Britain and the Netherlands, both bees and plants are disappearing. Scientists are unsure if, bees disappeared first or the plants. Both disappearing trends of bees and plants are having a great impact on the crops and wild species. Dr. Koos Biesmeijer of the University of Leeds in Britain and his colleagues have conducted research and found that 80 percent of the bee population has fallen since 1980. The research also shows that most of the bee species are declining or have become extinct.
In Scotland, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has started a new project to try and save the endangered bumblebee. They have hired a specially trained cocker spaniel to find any rare bumblebees. The organization hopes to discover the amount of bumblebees that remain and find solutions on how to save them.
Environmentalist website, www.Celsias.com, has conducted research projects and has written numerous articles about the disappearance of bees. Their latest article reported that Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Poland, and possibly the United Kingdom have all experienced the declination of bees. In most of these countries bee withdrawal is, at this point, only affecting the beekeepers. Beekeepers in these countries are worried that the problem will spread and affect other aspects of the country like in the United States.
Spain is home to a quarter of the European Union’s bees, with 2.3 million hives. Scientists have said that 50 percent of the hives are infected with a new parasite that is killing the hives. Scientist, Mariano Higes, and his colleagues have studied hives in many countries and have found that a parasite common in Asian bees have been the reason for the disappearance of bees. In a laboratory experiment, the parasite, nosema ceranae found in Asian bees, can kill the European honeybee within a matter of days. Higes states that this parasite is far more dangerous than any other possible reason for the disappearance of bees. He also said that the hive can become infected within 2 months and within 6 to 18 months, the whole colony can disappear. Mr. Higes and his team have traveled across the world to do research and found that the parasite has gone into Austria, Slovenia, Canada, and Argentina.
Antigua
In Antigua, the disappearance of bees is affecting the production of honey, one of Antigua’s main exports. Scientists are positive that the disappearance is a result of the varroa mites infecting the bees. The mites came into Antigua from a shipment of construction pipes. This has caused Antigua to struggle in completing orders of honey. Not only does the shortage of honey affect the economy of Antigua but it also affects the countries that rely on the importation of honey from Antigua.
Information & References
For more informations please click on hyperlink below:
Sources
- Barrionuevo, Alexei. "Bees Vanish, Scientists Race for Reasons." New York Times. 4/24/2007 (5/1/2007).
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html? res=FB0910F73C5A0C778EDDAD0894DF404482 - BBC. "Bee Fossil, DNA Generate a Buzz." 10/25/2006
(5/1/2007)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6084974.stm - Buchmann, Stephen and Banning Repplier. "Letters from the Hive: An Intimate History of Bees, Honey and Humankind." Bantam Books. 2005.
- Collett, Thomas. "Honeybee Intelligence." AccessScience@McGraw-Hill. 3/25/2002 (5/1/2007).
- Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group
http://www.ento.psu.edu/MAAREC/pressReleases/ ColonyCollapseDisorderWG.html
A Warm Welcome To You
Welcome To BEE
(Blog for E-Learning Education)
What is the first thought that comes to mind when one hears about a bee? You may think of their harmful traits and looks. Or maybe feel uncomfortable every time one goes buzzing by your ear. The urge to kill it may be apparent. However one thing that the majority of people do not know about bees is that they are a crucial part of our ecosystem. Honeybees play a crucial role in manufacturing goods such as fruits and honey, which help control our daily diet, but due to some circumstances, the bee population has started to decrease and may eventually become extinct.
This website will show the importance of bees across the globe and the causes of their extinction. It will also show the results of what may happen to our ecosystem without them and give solutions to help save them. If the bee population becomes extinct, this will surely be highly dangerous to not only mankind, but to all of nature. Honeybees are tremendously important to a country’s economic and agricultural stability. Our target audience for this website are politicians who have the power to vitally help to keep the bees alive. We hope you enjoy our website and hope that this information will motivate politicians and others to help keep the honeybee population growing by providing methods to keep them alive.
Bees Cartoon
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Carpenter Bee
Carpenter bees are solitary bees. They build nests just for themselves and only feed their own young. They get their name from their ability to drill through wood. Carpenter bee stingers are not barbed, so they are able to sting over and over again.
Size: 1"
Shape: Oval, bee shaped
Color: Blue-black
Legs: 6
Wings: Yes
Antenna: Yes
Common Name: Carpenter Bee
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Species: Xylocopa
DIET
Worker bees gather both pollen and nectar from flowers to feed to the larvae and other members of the colony.
HABITAT
Carpenter bees bore through soft woods to lay eggs and protect their larvae as they develop. Female carpenter bees will chew a tunnel into a piece of wood to build a nest gallery. The bits of wood she chews and deposits outside the nest are called "frass". The tunnel openings usually look about one or two inches deep, but they can be up to 10 feet long! These tunnels usually have several rooms where the bees hold their eggs and food.
IMPACT
Carpenter bees do not pose a public health threat, but they can do cosmetic damage to the wood where they build their nests. Carpenter bees are beneficial because they pollinate plants that are ignored by Honeybees.
PREVENTION
- Carpenter bees can drill into almost any wood, but prefer bare wood, so painting and staining wood can sometimes deter them.
- However, they will sometimes attack stained or painted wood, and their nests can be hard to reach, so a pest management professional or beekeeper should be called in to help.
Killer bee
The Africanized Honeybee, also known as the "killer bee" lives in South America and the Western and Southern United States. They have been known to chase people for over a quarter of a mile once they get excited and aggressive.
Even though they are called "Killer" bees, their venom is no more dangerous than regular honeybees. Their attacks are more harmful because they tend to attack in greater numbers, increasing your chance of having a severe allergic reaction to the venom released when they sting you.
"Killer bees" can only sting once, because their stingers are barbed and tear off when they try to get away.
Size: 1/2"
Shape: Oval, bee shape
Color: Golden yellow with darker bands of brown.
Legs: 6
Wings: Yes
Antenna: Yes
Common Name: Africanized Honey Bees
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Species: Apis
DIET
Worker bees gather both pollen and nectar from flowers to feed to the larvae and other members of the colony.
HABITAT
Africanized bees have small colonies, so they can build nests in unique places. They have been known to live in tires, crates, boxes, and empty cars.
IMPACT
Their venom is no more dangerous than regular honeybees-they just tend to attack in greater numbers, dramatically increasing the odds of having an allergic reaction to the venom. If you are chased by Africanized honeybees run in a zigzag pattern and seek shelter in a house or car. Do not jump in the water! They will just wait around until you come up for air.
PREVENTION
- Because of the aggressive nature of these pests, a pest management professional or beekeeper should be called in to help.
Honeybee
Honeybees live in large "families" and are found all over the world. The honeybee is the only social insect whose colony can survive many years. That is because they huddle together and eat honey to keep themselves alive during the winter months.
Honeybees pollinate more than 100 crops in the U.S.
Their wings flap 11,000 times per minute, which is why it sounds like they are "buzzing". Honeybees can only sting once, because their stingers are barbed and tear off when they try to get away.
Size: 1/2"
Shape: Oval, bee shaped
Color: Golden yellow with brown bands
Legs: 6
Wings: Yes
Antenna: Yes
Common Name: Honeybee
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Species: Apis
DIET
Honeybees produce honey from pollen and nectar of the plants they pollinate. They store the honey in honeycombs in their nests, which they use to feed their young in colder months.
HABITAT
Honeybee nests vary in size. They typically build their nests in tree crevices, but will occasionally build nests in attics or chimneys.
IMPACT
Honeybees do sting, but they only sting once. The sting can be extremely painful if the stinger is not immediately removed from the skin. Persons allergic to insect stings will have a more severe reaction.
PREVENTION
- Because honeybee colonies can be extremely large and removal can be very messy, only a pest management professional or experienced beekeeper can safely remove a honeybee nest.
Bumblebees
Bumblebees are considered to be beneficial insects because they pollinate crops and plants. They are very social bees and live in large "families".
Unlike honeybees, bumblebees can sting more than once because their stingers are smooth and do not get caught in the skin when they fly away.
Size: 1"
Shape: Oval, bee shaped
Color: Black with yellow stripes
Legs: 6
Wings: Yes
Antenna: Yes
Common Name: Bumble Bee
Kingdom: Animalia
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Species: Bombus
DIET
Worker bees gather both pollen and nectar from flowers to feed to the larvae and other members of the colony.
HABITAT
Bumblebees often nest in the ground, but can be found above ground around patio areas or decks. They will sometimes build their nests in attics or under roof beams. If disturbed, bumblebees will buzz in a loud volume, and they will aggressively defend their nests.
IMPACT
As part of the aggressive defense of their nests, bumblebees will chase nest invaders for long distances. The bumblebee sting is one of the most painful stings. Swelling and irritation can last for days after you are actually stung.
PREVENTION
- Bumblebees can be prevented through inspection of potential nesting areas and removal of potential nesting materials.
- Because bumblebees will sting when threatened, homeowners are advised not to address the infestation themselves. A pest management professional or beekeeper should be called in to help.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Brief Information About Bees
There are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world. Bees live in colonies and there are three types of bees in each colony. There is the queen bee, the worker bee and the drone. The worker bee and the queen bee are both female, but only the queen bee can reproduce. All drones are male. Worker bees clean the hive, collecting pollen and nectar to feed the colony and they take care of the offspring. The drone’s only job is to mate with the queen. The queen’s only job is to lay eggs.
Bees store their venom in a sac attached to their stinger and only female bees sting. That is because the stinger, called an ovipositor, is part of the female bee’s reproductive design. A queen bee uses her ovipositor to lay eggs as well as sting. Sterile females, also called worker bees, don’t lay eggs. They just use their ovipositors to sting.
Bees see all colors except the color red. That and their sense of smell help them find the flowers they need to collect pollen. Not only is pollen a food source for bees, but some of the pollen is dropped in flight, resulting in cross pollination. The relationship between the plant and the insect is called symbiosis.
Bees store their venom in a sac attached to their stinger and only female bees sting. That is because the stinger, called an ovipositor, is part of the female bee’s reproductive design. A queen bee uses her ovipositor to lay eggs as well as sting. Sterile females, also called worker bees, don’t lay eggs. They just use their ovipositors to sting.
Bees see all colors except the color red. That and their sense of smell help them find the flowers they need to collect pollen. Not only is pollen a food source for bees, but some of the pollen is dropped in flight, resulting in cross pollination. The relationship between the plant and the insect is called symbiosis.
Certain species of bees die after stinging because their stingers, which are attached to their abdomen, have little barbs or hooks on them. When this type of bee tries to fly away after stinging something, part of the abdomen is ripped away.
Useful Insects: Where would we be without bees, aka "the world's most useful insect"? For such tiny creatures, measuring only 1/8" to 1 inch in length, bees do the heavy lifting of providing honey, wax and pollinating most of the world's plants. Females carry their honey load in a "basket" located on their hind legs.
Useful Insects: Where would we be without bees, aka "the world's most useful insect"? For such tiny creatures, measuring only 1/8" to 1 inch in length, bees do the heavy lifting of providing honey, wax and pollinating most of the world's plants. Females carry their honey load in a "basket" located on their hind legs.
Complex Communities: Honey and bumble bees live in complex communities consisting of a queen, males and sterile females. While the honey bee constructs a home of individual wax cells to raise their young, the bumble bee uses grass and wax to create a home.
A Furry Body: A body covered by fur enables bees to continue their daily rounds of pollination on cooler days.
A Furry Body: A body covered by fur enables bees to continue their daily rounds of pollination on cooler days.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hard Work for Honey: Worker bees from a single hive will travel about 55,000 miles and hit 2 million flowers to produce one pound of honey.
Hard Work for Honey: Worker bees from a single hive will travel about 55,000 miles and hit 2 million flowers to produce one pound of honey.
Brainy Bees: A honey bee's brain, though only about a cubic millimeter, has the most densely packed gray matter of any animal.
Bee Antiseptic? :Microbes can't live in honey. In fact, in ancient times, bee honey was frequently use as a topical dressing for wounds.
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