(Twitter, Anthony Vaudo @ThatBeeAnthony) “With metabarcoding of Osmia cornifrons larval provisions we found they have distinct family level preferences, but can switch host species native to many regions, a mechanism for how introduced bees can establish in new habitats?”
(ScienceDaily/University of Würzburg) After more than 70 years, a great mystery of zoology has been solved: Honey bees actually use different dance dialects in their waggle dance. Which dialect has developed during evolution is related to the radius of action in which they collect food around the hive.
(The Guardian) A controlled experiment reveals how high wind speeds can significantly reduce the efficiency of foraging honey bees. With no wind, the bees on average took nectar from 5.45 flowers during their 90-second time trial. When wind speeds were increased, this fell to an average of 3.73 flowers. Over the course of a day, a bee’s capacity to supply its colony with food would be significantly curtailed.
