Sex-Based Differences in Bees
Did you know that ~20% of males in the solitary bee genus Megachile (“leafcutter bees”) have modified forelegs that serve as pheromone-secreting glands for attracting
Written by: Entomologically
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Bees & Biology
Backyard Beekeeping, Bees & Biology
What Traits Do Queen Breeders Want?
While researching how honey bees learn to forage I came across a paper titled “Beekeepers’ preferences for honeybee breeding goals: a French case study” and
Written by: Entomologically
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Bees & Biology, Entomology-Biology
The Evolution of Pollen Transport in Bees
With the first plants came the first plant-feeding insects, some 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous period. Later emergents were the flowering plants of
Written by: Entomologically
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How Did Bees Go from Solitary to Social Living?
The first bees were solitary and many species continue living these lifestyles, so how did honey bees grow so large? The development into group living,
Written by: Entomologically
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Honey Bee Immunity at the Colony Level
A honey bee colony’s immunity goes beyond combining the immune system of multiple individuals. When a hive exceeds the population threshold of “many bees nesting
Written by: Entomologically
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Honey Bee Immunity at the Individual Level
Insects lack an “adaptive” immune system. They don’t have the long-lived B- & T- cells that target specific pathogens and remember infections for future encounters.
Written by: Entomologically
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Honey Bees as Test Subjects: Behavioural & Cognitive Research
Broadly, experiments with bees as subjects are for assessing learning & memory, decision making, orientation and navigation, social behaviour, social communication, stress and motivation, motor-sensory
Written by: Entomologically
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Backyard Beekeeping, Bees & Biology
Addressing Deficiencies in Commercial Bee Feeds
Honey bees are generalist foragers, meaning their diet consists of a variety of nutrients and microbials. Bees also feed one another trophallaxicaly (“mouth to mouth”),
Written by: Entomologically
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Sex Determination in Honey Bees
Male drones are produced when a queen lays unfertilized eggs, whereas the female workers come from fertilized eggs. It’s not the presence of a sperm
Written by: Entomologically
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Backyard Beekeeping, Bees & Biology
Honey Bee Drone Development and Reproduction
Apis mellifera drones take 24 days to emerge from the cell. They spend the next 8-12 days maturing in preparation for mating with a virgin
Written by: Entomologically
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