pollinators

Traveling bees have shorter lives, more stress

Research from North Carolina State University, published in Scientific Reports, shows that travel can adversely affect bee health and lifespans. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are frequently trucked around the United States to pollinate crops like... more »

MSU researchers work to protect bees

It’s been four years since Michigan State University AgBioResearch entomologist Rufus Isaacs and his team set out to find methods that could help growers ensure their crops were pollinated in the face of rising threats... more »

Study: pollinators under threat

A growing number of pollinator species worldwide are being driven toward extinction by diverse pressures, many of them human-made, threatening millions of livelihoods and hundreds of billions of dollars worth of food supplies, according to the first global... more »

Study: high pollinator density benefits small farms

Higher numbers of pollinators can significantly increase crop productivity of small-sized farms, according to a paper in the latest issue of “Science.” The study found large farms can... more »

VDACS seeking comments on Pollinator Protection Plan

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has announced the meeting schedule for the agency’s State Managed Pollinator Protection Plan. VDACS will hold seven meetings around the state to give stakeholders an opportunity... more »

EPA releases report on neonicotinoid risk to bees

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a preliminary pollinator risk assessment for the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, which shows a threat to some pollinators. EPA’s assessment, prepared in collaboration withCalifornia’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, shows... more »