A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory explores the extraordinary lives of bees — among the planet’s most important animals. Over three years, special cameras opened a rare window into a single hive, revealing their hidden world. With more than 20,000 bee species pollinating one-third of the world’s food, this series uncovers their astonishing architecture and intelligence, unlocking their secrets.
National Geographic explorer and narrator of "Secrets of the Bees" Bertie Gregory talks about the new miniseries "Secrets of the Bees," streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on April 1.
Gregory did a good job of explaining the series, which I expect will be nominated at next year's News & Doc Emmy Awards, but he'd better. That his series is on National Geographic and he's promoting it on ABC News is not a coincidence. Disney owns both. As I wrote most recently in 'The Mythology of the Backrooms Explained' by Storied plus 'Backrooms' box office, it's not just news value that's driving the story. I can say the same about Inside Nat Geo's 'Secret of the Bees' from Good Morning America, an ABC News program.
The new series uses cutting-edge technology to reveal the world of bees in a whole new way.
I'm looking forward to blogging about this show two or three more times, when it's nominated for Outstanding Nature Documentary and Outstanding Cinematography - Documentary next spring, on World Bee Day, and maybe when and if it wins an Emmy or two. In the meantime, I can recommend the series to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about a strange discovery in a New York cemetery - bees, lots of bees
Anton may have wished this video was six months earlier or later so he could use it for Halloween, but it ended up being perfect for World Bee Day.
When I heard that this cemetary was in Ithaca (not NYC), I was expecting Cornell University to play a major role and I was not disappointed. Here are the first few paragraphs from the article/press release in the Cornell Chronicle, 5.5M ground nesting bees make home in Ithaca cemetery.
To save money, Rachel Fordyce parked her car for free at Ithaca’s East Hill Plaza and walked through East Lawn Cemetery to her job as a technician in an entomology lab on Cornell’s campus. One spring day in 2022, she walked in to work with a jar full of bees.
“These are all over the cemetery,” she told her boss, Bryan Danforth, professor of entomology in the College and Agriculture and Life Sciences. They identified the bees as Andrena regularis (also known as the "regular mining bee"), a wild, solitary, ground-nesting species that is an important pollinator.
Fordyce’s jar of bees led to the discovery that the Ithaca cemetery is home to one of the largest and oldest recorded aggregations of ground nesting bees in the world, with an estimated 5.5 million individual bees. That’s the equivalent of more than 200 honeybee hives in a 1.5-acre plot of land, and more than three times the population of Manhattan.
“I’m sure there are other large bee aggregations that exist around the world that we just haven’t identified, but in terms of what is in the literature, this is one of the largest,” said Steve Hoge ’24, first author of a new study published April 13 in the journal Apidologie. The research delves into the biology of these economically important but understudied wild bees, using those at East Lawn Cemetery as a case study. Hoge conducted the research as an undergraduate working in Danforth’s lab.
The paper describes a novel method for documenting many aspects of bee biology, reveals how such wild bees are extremely important agricultural pollinators for high-value specialty crops, such as the apples, one of New York's most iconic and valuable commodities, and points to the importance of cemeteries as preserves of biological diversity.
“The research elevates the value of solitary ground-nesting bees and shows just how abundant these bees are, how important they are as crop pollinators, and that we need to be aware of these nest sites and preserve them,” Danforth said.
There's a strange bee called the alkali bee. And in one small valley in Washington, it's worth its weight in gold.
In Walla Walla Valley, farmers depend on alkali bees, a native species essential to one of the country’s most overlooked crops: alfalfa seed. In fact, the work of these tiny pollinators generates millions of dollars in agricultural revenue. Unlike honey bees, alkali bees take a pollen-packed smack to the face without hesitation, powering through millions of flowers with speed and precision. But alkali bees can’t be boxed, transported, or bought. They nest in the ground, require salt-crusted soil, precise irrigation, and near-perfect conditions to thrive.
In this episode of Human Footprint, Shane Campbell-Staton visits the only place on Earth where solitary, ground-nesting bees are managed for large-scale agriculture. He meets third-generation farmer Mark Wagoner and entomologist Doug Walsh, who’ve each played a role in transforming this agricultural landscape into a living partnership with native pollinators.
Shane uncovers the extraordinary steps to keep these bees alive: building salt-encrusted bee beds, spraying pesticides late at night, and even rerouting a state highway. But supporting alkali bees is more than just innovative farming, it’s a glimpse into what it might take to protect WILD pollinators in a world built for honey bees.
This video ties into Vox explains 'What we get wrong about saving the bees' for World Honey Bee Day. According to the video description, "There are 20,000 other species of bees in the world — over 4,000 in the United States. They’re incredibly diverse, unique, and also important for pollination." Alkali bees fit that description perfectly. They also serve as an example of one of Commoner's Laws, "Nature knows best." That's a law I would like to cite more often.
Anand Varma shakes things up in his photography by studying the life of a honey bee and creating a story that most humans have never seen before!
I'm a zoologist and I've never seen honey bee metamorphosis before, so I'm sure most humans haven't seen it, either. File this under "It's a good day when I learn something new."
This episode of Photographer was nominated for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards, but didn't win, although another episode won Outstanding Nature Documentary. Follow over the jump for the winner of Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary.
Responding to petitions filed by the Xerces Society, last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that the Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni) and the large marble butterfly (Euchloe ausonides) warrant further consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act, by issuing a positive 90-day finding for these two species.
Next, Fish and Wildlife will carry out a full review (called a Species Status Assessment) of the two species. Once these are completed, FWS will decide whether or not listing these species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. If listing is warranted, legal protections will go into effect and resources will be directed to recovery.
Morrison bumble bees have disappeared in many places
The Morrison bumble bee historically occurred across much of the western U.S., and can be found in grasslands, sagebrush steppe, and woodland edges. It has co-evolved with local plants for thousands of years and is a super-pollinator, contributing to the stability of our wildlands and agricultural systems. However, the species has disappeared from much of its range and may have declined by as much as 75%. It faces multiple ongoing threats, including habitat loss and degradation, overgrazing, climate change, pesticides, diseases, and competition with honey bees. The Xerces Society petitioned FWS to protect this bee in 2023.
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These pollinators need federal protection to survive
ESA listings would protect these species by addressing the threats they are facing and ensuring that regulatory mechanisms — which are currently lacking — are in place to protect the species in locations where they are needed most. Federal protection is especially important for the Morrison bumble bee and the large marble butterfly because they occur in several states where state wildlife agencies lack the legal authority to protect insects and are unable to address the conservation needs of these species.
We lose something precious when a species goes extinct. Morrison bumble bees and large marble butterflies are integral parts of the unique landscapes that make the western U.S. so special. Our world would be a duller place without the pleasure of watching this vibrant butterfly and bright yellow bee tumble from flower to flower.
Even if these proposals go into effect, all may not be lost. The Nevada Independent published Bees, butterflies and beetles — bill would allow Nevada to manage certain invertebrates: "If passed, the state's department of wildlife would gain permission to protect 66 of Nevada’s most imperiled insects." The article specifically mentions the Morrison bumble bee. May it pass, too.
The work of Detroit Hives is simple. They are transforming vacant Detroit lots into urban bee farms. The mission is three-fold: Conserve the bees, educate others about how hard-working bees really are, and revitalize the community.
Not only are they rebuilding the bee community, but they are rebuilding the beautiful city.
Detroit Hives connected what they are doing to urban agriculture in Detroit, a major topic during the early years of this blog. It was about time I revisited it.
The Brightmoor location looks even more interesting than the one featured in the first two videos and I'm glad CBS Detroit used it to discuss the effect of weather on bees.
If the insect world has a fuzzy, charismatic cutie, it’s surely the humble bumble bee. While insect populations are declining around the globe, bumble bees face unique threats that make them particularly vulnerable. Surveying projects across the U.S. are combining the forces of researchers and community scientists to help protect these critical native pollinators.
Our host and museum curator, Jessica Ware, Ph.D. dives inside the hive to explore why honey bees aren’t the coolest pollinator in town. And Hillary Sardiñas, the pollinator coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows us how to net a queen bumble bee and explains how you can get involved in the mission to save imperiled insects! The series is produced for PBS by the American Museum of Natural History.
The opening repeats the point of Vox explains 'What we get wrong about saving the bees' for World Honey Bee Day; we're worrying about the wrong bees. People in North America may not have enough honeybees to do all the things we need them to do, but they're not going to go extinct. Honeybees are not bananas. On the other hand, some species of bumblebees are threatened or endangered, and we need those, too.
Honeybees get a ton of attention, but they’re not the ones who need help.
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Every year there are alarming headlines about honeybees in the US. Each one highlights some grim facts about the fate of these insects and the subsequent fallout: Colonies are collapsing, beekeepers are struggling, and farming is at risk. The stakes are high. Honeybees are estimated to pollinate up to $15 billion worth of food in the US. It’s safe to say that without them our plates and farms would look very different. Naturally, they’ve become the face of a larger movement to “save the bees,” but the truth is … they’ll be fine.
Honeybees are domesticated animals being cared for by a billion-dollar agriculture industry. They’re so ingrained into American life that it might surprise you that they’re not even from the US — they were brought here by settlers in the 1600s. We give them a ton of attention, and the species as a whole isn’t threatened or even at risk — but other species are.
There are 20,000 other species of bees in the world — over 4,000 in the United States. They’re incredibly diverse, unique, and also important for pollination. Unfortunately, hundreds of these bee species are at risk of being lost forever, but you rarely see those headlines. Watch the video above to learn more.
Vox uploaded the video on Monday the 14th, which was perfectly timed so that I could use it today. I remarked on that in a comment to Kim Mas, the producer.
Happy World Honey Bee Day to you and your viewers and readers! Did you upload the video to coincide with the week of World Honey Bee Day? If so, perfect timing! If not, then one of yesterday's special days applies, Serendipity Day!
Either way, congratulations on the well-researched video about the plight and importance of all bees, not just honeybees.
That's all I'll write about the video today, as I have exams to grade. I'll return tomorrow for WorldMosquitoDay. Like Vox did for bees, PBS Eons did for mosquitos, uploading a video this week, just in time for World Mosquito Day. Again, perfect timing. Stay tuned.
There’s just about nothing better than watching a kitty play with a ball of yarn, but there’s another unexpected animal that enjoys playtime, too! And certain birds appear to have the abilities of self-control!
The last year I took classes for my M.S. degree, I enrolled in both mammalogy and ornithology. One of the things that struck me after taking both classes was that mammals played a lot but birds played a lot less. The textbooks reflected this disparity, with pages and pages devoted to play in the mammalogy text, but maybe half a page in the ornithology text. The same professor taught both courses and I asked him about it and he said that the books accurately reflected the two classes' behavior, with the mammals playing more because they were more intelligent. Birds don't have to be as bright as long as the best solution to a problem is to fly away. No surprise that the most playful birds are the corvids, the same birds the video examined for their intelligence.
What does this have to do with play in bees? I found bees being bright enough to play a good argument in favor of them being brighter than I expected. However, I should have known better, as scientists have been studying intelligence in bumblebees for years. Follow over the jump for three more videos of bumblebees demonstrating their problem-solving skills from six years ago.
Taking refuge from the pandemic a wildlife filmmaker sets out to record the incredible variety of wild bees in his small garden, finally developing a close relationship with an individual bee that he has followed over its entire life.
Martin Dohrn is an expert at exploring the macroscopic world; his last project on ants with David Attenborough won awards around the world. This time, he unravels a bee filled universe inhabited by winged creatures of every size and shape. From giant bumblebees to scissor bees the size of a mosquito, he has seen over 60 species of bee in his backyard. As he gets sucked into this world, he narrates with the charm and informative voice of a man obsessed. Filmed with one-of-a-kind lenses forged on his kitchen table, this film illuminates its audience with unique natural history insights, and depths of behaviors never recorded before.
The documentary, which kicks off Nature’s 40th season on PBS, follows Dohrn during the COVID-19 lockdown of spring and summer 2020, as he becomes bee obsessed and develops relationships with individual bees. Filming more than 60 species of bees, from Britain’s largest bumblebees to scissor bees, which are the size of a mosquito, Dohrn observes how differences in behavior set different species apart from each other. Eventually, he gets so close to the bees, he can identify individuals just by looking at them.
Viewers will marvel at moments timely captured in My Garden of a Thousand Bees, such as bees laying tiny eggs preparing for the next generation, green-fanged spiders feasting on male flower bees and a female yellow-faced bee attacking a Gasteruption wasp to protect her nest. Other fascinating behavior featured in the program includes two male bees fighting each other over a female, different species of bees competing over territory and one busy bee building a nest with a shell and hundreds of sticks. Intrigued by the intelligence of one particular wood-carving leafcutter bee, Dohrn dubs her “Nicky” and sees life at her level as she leaves a lasting legacy in the garden.
That's impressive, but today is dedicated to honeybees, which Seeker examined at the same time "My Garden of a Thousand Bees" was airing, in The Threat to Bees and Our Food Supply.
The European honey bees are crucial to our food systems, but they may soon be under threat from a microscopic pest. So what exactly is this threat?
To learn more about other types of bees, make sure to check out the documentary, "My Garden of a Thousand Bees," streaming now on @Nature on PBS...
It’s no secret, bees are super important. And it’s not just for food sources; bees also keep the health of wild ecosystems in check by pollinating wildflowers, which in turn maintains biodiversity and a thriving terrestrial biomes.
And while all bee species are helpful pollinators, honey bees are CRUCIAL to our own food supply, pollinating close to 90 commercially grown crops in the U.S. But bee populations have been under extreme stresses, from pesticides to the climate crisis, to parasites and diseases.
We are currently losing between 30% and close to 50% of our honeybee colonies every single year. What would be worse in a situation where the balance is already kind of teetering is to add a parasite that we know has a dramatic impact on honeybees.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly the situation all bees are facing. Dr. Sammy Ramsey, a scientist at the USDA, focuses on protecting bees from an emerging threat.
Even Seeker told its viewers to watch this episode, just like my mom told me to. Good for them!
Follow over the jump for its News & Documentary Emmy nomination along with the nominations for other nature documentaries at this year's awards.
The American bumblebee has declined by nearly 90 percent across the U.S. Now there’s a new push to protect it under the Endangered Species Act. NBC’s Kerry Sanders reports as our series TODAY Climate continues.
While the U.S. hasn't added the American Bumblebee to the national Endangered Species List, at least one state has added it to the state's endangered species list, as WWLP-22News reported in American Bumble Bee was added to the endangered species list nearly three years ago.
The American Bumble Bee was a common sight in Massachusetts more than 50 years ago, but the population's been in steady decline for the last 25 years, and are now found almost exclusively in Franklin and Hampshire counties.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the variable cuckoo bumblebee, a critically imperiled species that has not been observed since 1999, may warrant Endangered Species Act protection. The announcement kicks off a one-year status assessment of the species.
Today’s positive finding comes in response to a petition filed in 2021 by the Center for Biological Diversity. If the variable cuckoo bumblebee gets protected under the Act, it would be the first cuckoo bumblebee listed and the third listed bumblebee after the rusty patched bumblebee and Franklin’s bumblebee.
“These bumblebees need protection urgently, and if the Biden administration acts quickly, we can safeguard this important species before it’s gone forever,” said Jess Tyler, a Center staff scientist who authored the petition. “I’m hopeful that the variable cuckoo bumblebee is still out there, but we need swift federal action to help this species avoid extinction.”
The variable cuckoo bumblebee was once widely found in open grasslands and meadows. While it has lived mainly in the eastern United States, it has also been observed as far southwest as Arizona and as far northeast as New Hampshire. It was last seen in the 1990s in Nebraska, Missouri and Florida. There have been no confirmed observations of this species since 1999.
Cuckoo bumblebees are social parasites that take over the nests of other bumblebees by subduing the resident queen and tricking the host’s worker bees into feeding and caring for the cuckoo bumblebee’s young. In doing so, cuckoo bumblebees help keep host bumblebee populations diverse and healthy, including by reducing disease virulence.
The variable cuckoo bumblebee is entirely dependent on its host species, the American bumblebee, which has declined by an estimated 89%. The Center has also petitioned to list the American bumblebee under the Act and is fighting to get it protected. The variable cuckoo bumblebee and its host are also threatened by multiple concurrent factors that degrade their habitat, including intensive agriculture and pesticides.
The Service will now initiate a scientific status review and public comment period before deciding whether to protect the variable cuckoo bumblebee.
Background
Wild bees are essential to the pollination of wild flowering plants and many flowering crops. North America is home to 46 species of bumblebees, but an increasing number are in trouble. Nearly 1 in 4 bumblebee species is in decline and threatened with extinction in North America.
The variable cuckoo bumblebee is a generalist pollinator and was once found in a wide range of open habitats, including urban areas. Their host species makes its nests in pre-existing cavities, like rodent burrows and rotten logs, or on the surface of the ground in large grass bunches. The variable cuckoo bumblebee is one of a rare group of parasitic cuckoo bumblebees that play important regulatory roles in bumblebee communities and ecosystems.
I just hope it's not too late, as the Variable Cuckoo Bumblebee has not been seen this century and may already be extinct.
Everyone has heard of honeybees, but what about the 4,000 species of wild, native bees that live alongside honey bees here in North America? These lesser-known, but equally industrious insects not only pollinate our crops but also support healthy, diverse ecosystems across the continent. Unfortunately, many of these native bee species are in trouble. In The Power of Pollinators, entomologist and insect evangelist Dr. Samuel Ramsey showcases the diversity, beauty, and importance of North America’s wild bees, and shares simple steps that everyone can take to help them. Get engaged at www.plantwildflowers.org.
All of this is good information I plan on passing along to my students.
A Harp Twins original Holiday song – the 7th track of our new WINTER LIGHTS album (links below)! We wrote both the music and the lyrics of NORDIC SOLSTICE. This original song pays homage to our Scandinavian heritage. We found out recently that some of our Norwegian ancestors lived north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. The Winter Solstice has an important place in life, mythology and history – especially in northern parts of the world when the days are dark and the nights are long. The Scandinavian people of northern Europe celebrated the period of “midwinter”/winter solstice with the holiday, Jul/Yule, from which many modern day Christmas traditions are descended. We wanted the song to celebrate the rebirth of the sun after the longest night of the year. Everything that you hear in the video is just our harps and our voices – exactly like we can perform it live with no overlays or backtracks. It was 5 °F (-15 °C) when we filmed this video, so we guess we’re lucky our fingers didn’t get frostbitten!
We are incredibly excited to share this original song with all of you. Please let us know if you enjoyed “Nordic Solstice” by liking the video, favoriting, leaving a comment, and sharing it with your friends. We look forward to releasing more of our original compositions! Please subscribe and stay tuned!
I featured the Harp Twins playing a song for the Summer Solstice three years ago, so it was time to do so for the Winter Solstice. They have another music video for Yule, but I'm being a good environmentalist and conserving my resources to use them in the future.
Stay tuned for more holiday programming through the rest of this year and into the next as I celebrate Festivus, Christmas, and New Years.
State officials released a photo of the dangerous insect attacking a wasp nest, asking residents to keep an eye out and report any sightings to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
As noted in the comments, it's oddly appropriate that Good Morning America reported this story on Friday the 13th. It certainly was an unlucky day for honeybees in the Pacific Northwest.
The first Asian giant hornet nest of the year has been found in Washington state, and plans are being developed to eradicate it, likely next week, the state's agriculture department said.
The report shows the team from the Washington state Department of Agriculture eradicating a nest of Giant Asian Hornets on FoodDay last year, so they have experience. That's a good thing. As I wrote on World Honey Bee Day last year, "For the sake of the bees, I hope Chris Looney and the people who work with him at the Washington state Department of Agriculture succeed in preventing 'murder hornets' from becoming established. Bees have enough problems."
Regular commenter Cleto Safari di Moderna posted a link to The Daily Beast's story about the return of "murder hornets" and asked "I wonder if the 'Killer Bees' would resist the 'Murder Hornets' more effectively than other honeybees?" I couldn't resist answering his question.
Take it from this zoologist, the answer is no. Africanized bees might put up a more aggressive defense of their colony than non-Africanized bees, but it won't be enough as their stings won't be any better at penetrating the Asian Giant Hornet's exoskeleton than any other honeybee. Japanese honeybees know better; they cook the hornets instead.
Watch Hornets from Hell by National Geographic to see that in action.
Japanese giant hornets pack a venomous sting so strong it can dissolve human tissue. But when a hornet scout enters a beehive, watch as the bees turn the tables on their enemy — and literally bake the predator to death!
As Cleto Safari di Moderna responded to my answer, "Mmm...hornet teriyaki..."
Happy WorldBeeDay! The purpose of today's international day is "to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem," something I've been doing for years when I blog about bees. I begin with two videos from the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe about the day, starting with World Bee Day 2021.
Almost 80% of our flora depends on animals, especially insects, for pollination...Bees are essential to our environment, but they are in danger...Because every little bit counts, let's act together #ForPeopleForPlanet.
While this video has the preview image I want for today's post, its description sacrifices information for emotional appeal, including emojis I haven't figured out how to reproduce on my blog and have replaced with ellipses. On the other hand, last year's video, World Bee Day - 20 May, 2020, has an informative description I like.
Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities. But pollinators contribute directly to food security and are key to conserving biodiversity.
I like this description much better in part because it mentions "other pollinators" besides bees, which is the theme of the rest of the post. Follow over the jump.
For Americans eager to hold the president accountable for inciting a violent mob to attack Congress, Wednesday brought key glimmers of hope as the House of Representatives voted in favor of impeachment and a comment by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to give cover for Republican Senators to do the same when the trial begins in that chamber.
Once again, the giant impeach landed on soon to be ex-President Donald Trump. Splat!*
Of course, if Colbert is on something, Seth Meyers will be, too. Late Night with Seth Meyers uploaded Trump Is Now the Only President To Be Impeached Twice: A Closer Look to YouTube even before his show aired, which means it has more views than Colbert's monologue for once. Let's see how long that lasts.
Seth takes a closer look at the House voting to impeach President Trump for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, making him the first and only president in history to be impeached twice.
Seth had a good insight about Mitch McConnell's motivations in reportedly being pleased about impeachment. Not only would he like to be the leading Republican, he certainly wants the campaign contributions to return. Trump stands in the way of both of those goals. While I don't like him or Liz Cheney, I'll take their help if it leads to Trump being disqualified from ever holding office again.
Donald Trump made history today as the first president to be impeached twice, several Republicans in the House voted to hold Trump accountable while the rest of them put their crazy on full display, Chuck Norris set the record straight about being at the Capitol riots after a look-a-like photo circulated online, Nancy Pelosi’s stolen lectern was returned, several GOP members popped off about having to go through metal detectors on their way into the Capitol, VP Mike Pence received a vulgar threat from Trump, Mitch McConnell is said to be pleased about impeachment after years of supporting our dear misleader, and Jimmy checks in with our favorite stoner from Michigan, Freddie Miller.
Before the 2020 U.S. presidential election, I didn't include Kimmel very often in these compilations, but I've learned to enjoy his monologues. Besides, I think his comedy improved as the news got worse. Also, he and his writers are willing to do silly things other late night talk show hosts aren't, like running Devin Nunes through a Snapchat clown filter. It made watching and listening to him tolerable.
Since this is a Michigan-based blog that occasionally covers marijuana legalization, I enjoyed watching Freddie Miller, although I don't know if Kimmel's idea of casting him on "The Bachelor" would be a good idea outside of comedy, not unless the producers recruit women that would fit better on "The Real World" than the usual glamorous types competing on "The Bachelor." That might be a train wreck worth watching.
Samantha Bee and Stephen talk about the unique challenges of making late night comedy shows when the news is so dour, and how they personally process troubling events like the MAGA insurrection. You can catch Samantha Bee on "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" on TBS!
Samantha Bee didn't address today's impeachment directly on her show, instead concentrating on last week's attemptedself-coup and its perpetrators and enablers, but she did so here. That and Bee describing her desire that Trump be gone so she and her writers can make fun of less distressing news are why I embedded this clip instead of one from her show. I might put together a compilation of clips from last night's "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" tomorrow if I don't update the legal developments in theFlintWaterCrisis. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I think it's only appropriate that Bee keeps bees; my favorite insects need all the friends they can get.
Right when we thought 2020 couldn’t get worse, ‘Murder Hornets’ made their big U.S. debut. But are murder hornets as ‘murderous’ as their nickname suggests?
Asian Giant Hornets are responsible for up to 50 deaths a year in Asia, especially in Japan, which has been dealing with the problem for thousands of years. But it takes multiple stings to kill a person. But the real victim and biggest concern is the already declining honeybee population. Murder hornets were first spotted in Washington State in December, and beekeepers there are terrified.
The Asian Giant Hornet is the biggest known hornet in the world. The hornet can grow up to 2 inches long with a curved stinger long enough to puncture a bee suit.
They can grow as large as 2½ inches and can slaughter a colony of thousands of honeybees in a matter of hours. And their sting? It's one of the most painful known to humankind. Vespa mandarinia, dubbed by The New York Times as "murder hornets," are the nation's latest invasive species, and correspondent Luke Burbank talks with entomologists and a beekeeper about the threats these insects pose and what's being done to keep them from establishing themselves in the U.S.
For the sake of the bees, I hope Chris Looney and the people who work with him at the Washington state Department of Agriculture succeed in preventing "murder hornets" from becoming established. Bees have enough problems.
World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20 each year. The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem.
Every year on this day, the global public will focus on the importance of preserving honey bees and all other pollinators. People will be reminded of the significance of bees in providing for the needs of humanity.
As the world marks Bee Day this week (May 20), it's a good opportunity to check in on these industrious insects that are responsible for about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. But something is wrong with the world's bees and our existence might depend on figuring out why. VOA's Kevin Enochs reports.
That's very much the same message about bees I've been telling on this blog for years, but it bears repeating.
Speaking of which, I present a video that places the importance of bees in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, World Bee Day. Unsung heroes from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Food is precious. During times of crisis, we must appreciate even more what it takes to get food to our plates. [J]ust think of bees and beekeepers. Most of the world’s vital food crops depend upon bees and other pollinators, giving us a diversity in our diets of quality fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Without them our gardens would not flourish, plant diversity would decrease, and we would miss the sweetness of honey. Yet, our tiny heroes are under threat from intensive agriculture, habitat loss, improper use of pesticides and climate change. Beekeepers are working to protect them. Contributing to our food and nutrition security, safeguarding biodiversity and providing livelihoods for millions.
To all these unsung heroes, we say…Thank you!
That reiterates the threats to bees I've been listing on my blog for most of the past ten years, but it does it well and updates it for our current situation. That alone makes it worth embedding. It helps that the United Nations established World Bee Day, so including a U.N. video is only proper.
The Duchess of Cornwall has sent a message to mark World Bee Day, in her capacity as newly named president of Bees for Development.
Camilla keeps nine hives herself and “every year sells the honey from her hives for charity,” a statement from Clarence House reads.
Bees For Development is a charity that aims to use beekeeping as a way to transform people’s lives.
Last year Her Royal Highness attended the Bees For Development Garden Party at Marlborough House in London.
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Report by Gianluca Avagnina.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is not my favorite Royal — that's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — but her being a beekeeper makes her an appropriate celebrity spokesperson for the cause. It makes me like her a little bit more.
I will do this all over again for World HoneyBee Day in August with updates on threats facing bees, such as "murder hornets," in between. Stay tuned.
Seven years ago, I wrote "here is some scary biodiversity for you all, a potential invasive species I can frighten my students with: Giant hornets killing dozens in China." Asian Giant Hornets are no longer "a potential invasive species," they're an actual invasive species here in the U.S. That prompted a lot of sensational coverage as a change of pace during the COVID-19 pandemic. I engaged in a little of that on Twitter, tweeting "I wondered why there were giant wasps and hornets in the Final Fantasy games. Then I read about these things and understood." Now I will definitely scare my students with them this semester!
Seth takes a moment to ask Asian giant hornets, or "murder hornets," to give us all a break as we’re busy dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
In his monologue, Seth does a good job of placing the threat in the context of the pandemic and official response in addition to the "now what" reaction to one more thing to worry about. Fortunately, as scary as Asian Giant Hornets are, they are mostly a threat to honeybees. LiveScience emphasizes that point in "Murder Hornets" Massacre Honey Bees, Not Humans FYI.
Sightings in Washington state of Asian giant hornets* raise concerns that the enormous insects may be settling in North America. Live Science Senior Writer Mindy Weisberger tells the tale of how "Murder Hornets" got their name and what's going on with our new visitors:
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* not yellowjackets aka "American Hornets" which are only a 1/2-inch vs 2-inch length, and not European #hornets are also smaller than their giant Asian cousins, and do not attack bees as a group ~The more you know~ about #asiangianthornets
While they are less of a threat to humans than they seem — 50 dead per year out of the approximately three billion people in the countries where it is native does not seem impressive compared to the average of 62 Americans dying every year from bee, wasp, and hornet stings with a population one-tenth that size; Giant Asian Hornets might add an average of 5-10 each year to that total if fatalities are proportional to population — they are a real threat to bees. That makes them an indirect threat to humans because of the importance of honeybees to agriculture. Oh, boy, one more thing to include in this year's World Bee Day on May 20th.
Enough of the potential threat from murder hornets today. Stay tuned for a celebration of Mother's Day.
Happy World HoneyBee Day!* Here's the updated holiday description from National Day Calendar.
World Honey Bee Day on the third Saturday in August brings a buzzing celebration for beekeepers, honey lovers, and all blooming things.
The day recognizes both the honey bee and the beekeepers who tend the hives. It also encourages everyone to enjoy and buy locally grown honey.
Another important part of the day includes learning about honey bees and providing them with a supportive environment. When we plant wildflowers, orchards, and other flowering plants, we support pollinators such as honey bees. They depend on the nectar of a variety of plants for their survival. Conversely, we depend on honeybees for our survival! Without their pollinating abilities, many nutritious plans wouldn’t reproduce.
Besides, their delicious honey is an added bonus. We enjoy it in our baking, teas, and confections.
Honey bees do sting, but only if they perceive a threat – damage to their hive or being swatted at. Since they seek sweet nectar, sugary drinks and sweets will attract honey bees when flowers are not blooming yet. Keep beverages covered. If a honey bee comes close, either hold still or move slowly away. The honey bee will fly along to the next sweet thing as long as it doesn’t feel threatened.
Since I enjoy including clips from local news shows about national and world days, I'm sharing two videos from Good Morning Sacramento that were uploaded for last year's celebration.
Bee lovers are abuzz on National Honeybee Day, the time of year when we honor nature's hardest-working pollinator.
People owe a lot to bees -- namely, many of the foods we enjoy, like strawberries, avocados and broccoli. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that every 1 in 3 bites of food exists because of animal pollinators, and bees lead the charge.
Luckily, honeybees aren't in danger of extinction like other bee species, but their health is critical to the survival of all bees. When honeybees are infected with pathogens or parasites, they infect native bees that are more vulnerable to extinction, said Alixandra Prybyla, science director of the Honeybee Conservancy.
"Saving the bees" seems like a lofty goal, but you don't have to be a beekeeper to make an impact. Here are some small changes you can make to keep bees healthy.
This week, we hit the road in rural Texas for our weirdest experiment yet. We’re collecting all the bugs that splat on our car’s windshield. It’s a silly project that hints at a very serious issue: the decline of insect populations around the world. It’s mysterious and disturbing...but might be different from what you’ve been hearing on the news.
My reaction was to share some musical gallows humor in a comment: "1980s Depeche Mode: 'Death is everywhere. There are flies on the windshield, for a start.' Now, not so much." It turns out I misquoted Depeche Mode. The title of the song is "Fly on the Windscreen." Ah yes, the U.S. and the U.K., two countries divided by a common language. That written, people enjoyed my comment and didn't correct it, as it has 13(!) likes so far on YouTube.
There is also a World Bee Day recognized by the United Nations on May 20th. That happens to be the anniversary of my marriage to my ex-wife, a day that I have used to reflect on my mistakes. I'd much rather consider the importance of bees.
Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.
Pollinators allow many plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity - a cornerstone of the Sustainable Development Goals. They also serve as sentinels for emergent environmental risks, signaling the health of local ecosystems.
Invasive insects, pesticides, land-use change and monocropping practices may reduce available nutrients and pose threats to bee colonies.
To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.
World Bee Day is celebrated on 20 May each year to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators for food and agriculture.
The FAO Director-General was informative, but not very lively or practical. For those two qualities, I conclude with KUSI in San Diego's Saving the bees for World Bee Day.
That was definitely more fun than this year's official video from the FAO, just as considering the importance of bees is more fun than reflecting on my mistakes. I'll find another day for that, I'm sure.
While this is the first time I've officially celebrated World Bee Day on this blog, I managed to do so unofficially four years ago.
In an interesting coincidence, I posted President Obama's plan to save the bees on May 20, 2015. The holiday wasn't declared until 2017, so I accidentally predicted it. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than to be good.
