Sugar-poor diets wreak havoc on bumblebee queens’ health

UC Riverside study shows that without adequate sugar, a bumblebee queen’s fat body, which functions like a human liver, does not correctly produce enzymes required for healthy metabolism and detoxification from pesticides.

By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

As bumblebee diets narrow, ours could too

There has been a lot of buzz about honeybees’ failing health because they pollinate our produce. Less well known is how critical bumblebees are for some of our favorite foods. And their numbers are also rapidly declining. A new study from the University of California, Riverside, reveals the loss of...

Environmental threats put bumblebee queens under pressure

Insecticide exposure and declining floral diversity are jeopardizing key pollinator group