Buzz-Worthy Behavior: Unraveling social learning in the honeybee’s waggle dance

by Stephan Foianinifigures by Gracyn Mose When you think of a beehive, what comes to mind? You may imagine an industrial factory with countless bees toiling away, tirelessly collecting and processing honey. However, what if I told you that a beehive is more like a night club than a sweatshop? The hive is dark, loud, coated in a sweet-sticky substance, and, most importantly, everyone inside is … Continue reading Buzz-Worthy Behavior: Unraveling social learning in the honeybee’s waggle dance

Bees

By carrying pollen from plant to plant in their quest for nectar, bees help to facilitate plant reproduction, giving bees an essential role in the sustainability of our agriculture.  Bee populations have been threatened over the last decade by a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder, where the bees leave their hives and never return.  This year, however, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released positive … Continue reading Bees

Honeybee

Better Bees: Progress Towards Robotic Pollinators

Bees and pollen are associated with a variety of irritations, but together they play a key role in crop production and global agriculture. Unfortunately, bee populations have been declining over the past decade. In response to the threat posed to the world’s food supply, scientists from Japan have been working to develop a robotic bee that can pollinate flowers just like a real honeybee. These … Continue reading Better Bees: Progress Towards Robotic Pollinators