https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. New Oxford University-led research reveals that bees can regulate their feeding to avoid overconsuming certain essential nutrients, and that honey bees make a specialist "baby food" that gives their larvae a better-balanced diet. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bees-good-nutrients-pollen-reveals.html Plants & Animals Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:00:01 EDT news700758414 A new study demonstrates that honeybees can evaluate the reliability of their own communication, actively adjusting the vigor of their "waggle dance" based on the truthfulness of the information they provide. By manipulating whether a dancing bee's followers successfully found food, experiments revealed that only bees with verified, "honest" information increased their recruitment effort over time when advertising a new location, whereas "liar" or "unverified" bees did not. This internal self-control mechanism naturally filters out ambiguous or misleading signals, allowing the hive to function efficiently as a cooperative superorganism. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-honeybees-adjust-based-reliability-reveals.html Plants & Animals Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:20:01 EDT news700828981 For generations, scientists believed a queen honeybee was made almost entirely by diet: feed an ordinary larva enough royal jelly and a ruler emerges. But new research suggests queens are created through a more elaborate process. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-honeybees-crown-queens.html Plants & Animals Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:05 EDT news699695221 New research published in NeoBiota has found that the Western honey bee—an introduced species to Australia—and the devastating, invasive plant fungus known as myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) may have formed a mutually beneficial relationship known as "invasional mutualism." https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bees-food-source-reshape-destructive.html Plants & Animals Wed, 20 May 2026 09:20:05 EDT news698484781 Being a single mother of 20 is no joke, especially if the survival of a whole species depends on it. A queen bumblebee faces this very challenge when she lays her first eggs in the spring: She is utterly alone, with no worker bees to help. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mother-quickly-colony-wont-survive.html Plants & Animals Mon, 18 May 2026 10:20:02 EDT news698317442 Pesky pests can wreak havoc on plants by chewing leaves, boring into stems, and sucking sap from trees. Beyond the direct damage, they also spread harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can infect and ultimately kill the crops. Every year, these destructive invaders are responsible for the loss of nearly 40% of global agricultural production. A friendly group of fungi, the Hypocreales, form symbiotic relations with plants and naturally protect them by antagonizing pests, acting as their personal biocontrol. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-fungi-secret-chemistry-greener.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 May 2026 13:20:04 EDT news697363290 The ability to detect viruses and other harmful pathogens is highly advantageous for animals, as it can guide their behavior and prevent them from illness, and—in severe cases—death. When it comes to species that live in organized groups, such as bees, ants and some other insects, it can be even more crucial, as it can prevent the spread of pathogens across entire colonies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bees-viruses-food-sources-dont.html Plants & Animals Sat, 02 May 2026 08:00:08 EDT news696781511 In the Philippines, Indigenous communities have been harvesting wild honey for centuries. A new chemical analysis of this honey now provides insights into the biodiversity of the region. "And an additional reason to protect the national tree properly," says lecturer Merlijn van Weerd of the Centre for Environmental Sciences (CML). https://phys.org/news/2026-04-wild-honey-philippine-jungle-reveals.html Ecology Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:09 EDT news696162937 Southern California is home to a flying black-and-yellow treasure. While commercial honeybee hives nationwide are collapsing under attack from deadly parasites, a unique hybrid bee found only in this part of the state has demonstrated the ability to survive. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-socal-hybrid-bees-outsmart-varroa.html Plants & Animals Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news695030761 Heat can change a honey bee's hormone levels, but only if the bee is alone. New research from MSU entomologist Zachary Huang shows that isolated honey bees experience a rapid hormonal rise when exposed to high temperatures, while bees kept in groups stay stable. The discovery highlights how social conditions and chemical signals shape bees' ability to withstand environmental stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-social-honey-bees-stay-cool.html Plants & Animals Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:40:02 EDT news694782122 Cultivating flowering plants for pollinator gardens, commercial farms, or home landscapes often relies on the use of herbicides to manage unwanted weeds. Honeybees are attracted to these locations and play a critical role in their success. So what happens when foraging bees pick up a dose of weedkiller? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-common-herbicide-affects-honeybee-brains.html Ecology Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:40:01 EDT news694688942 Humans are creatures of rhythms. As far as we know, humans have always sung and always danced. We can recognize a song by its rhythm alone, regardless of whether it is played fast or slow. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bumblebees-rhythm-brains-size-sesame.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:03 EDT news694424281 In recent years, scientists have carefully deciphered details of the honey bee "waggle dance," which is an advanced form of social communication in the animal kingdom. University of California San Diego biologists and their international colleagues recently unraveled how the dance conveys critical information about food sources for the benefit of fellow hive inhabitants. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-precision-food-waggle-fluctuates-audience.html Plants & Animals Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:00:01 EDT news693474301 A man-made food source provided honey bees a nutritious diet at a commercial scale over the course of two winter seasons, according to a new study led by Washington State University researchers. The study, published in the journal Insects, looked at the new feed as used by five commercial beekeepers in California and Idaho from fall 2022 to spring 2024. This study is a follow-up to an initial paper describing the bee feed. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-pollen-honey-bee-colonies-term.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:40:01 EDT news692534881 Honeybees collecting nectar from a "buffet" of Australian native plants made honey with anti-microbial abilities that is more potent than "single origin" honey made from only one source of plant or flower, a University of Sydney-led study has found. The findings could help develop new treatments for drug-resistant infections while supporting bushfire recovery and sustainable beekeeping practices across Australia. They also place native Australian honey as a strong competitor on the global landscape. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-australian-honey-stronger-anti-microbial.html Ecology Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:00:01 EST news691765257 A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology has revealed the toxic "forever chemical," PFOS, can accumulate in exposed honeybee colonies and transfer to their honey, threatening pollinator viability, food security, and potentially human health. Conducted by researchers at the University of New England (UNE), the study monitored the effects of chronic sublethal exposure of PFOS on European honeybee colonies, showing prolonged exposure to environmental levels of PFOS changed the expression of some key proteins responsible for cell function in the honeybee. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-pfos-chemical-accumulate-bees-honey.html Environment Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:00:10 EST news691321682 When honey bees find a good source of food, they return to their hive and perform a waggle dance. It consists of a series of movements that communicate the direction and distance to nectar, pollen or water relative to the sun. For years, scientists had a vague understanding of where this occurred in the hive, generally describing it as near the entrance. But in a new paper published in the journal PLOS One, researchers have developed a mathematical method to pinpoint the exact boundaries and shape of the region where this form of communication occurs, an area known as the dance floor. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-honey-bee-floor-method-hive.html Plants & Animals Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:20:01 EST news691071656 A team from the University of Freiburg led by neurobiologist and behavioral biologist Prof. Dr. Andrew Straw studied the flight behavior of honey bees. Using a drone, the researchers tracked honey bees as they flew between their hive and a food source about 120 meters away in an agricultural environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-honey-bees-precisely-previously-thought.html Plants & Animals Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:00:05 EST news690543545 A multi-institutional team of researchers led by Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC has for the first time identified specific patterns of brain chemical activity that predict how quickly individual honey bees learn new associations, offering important insights into the biological basis of learning and decision-making. The study, published in Science Advances, found that the balance between the neurotransmitters octopamine and tyramine can predict whether a bee will learn quickly, slowly, or not at all, as they associate an odor with a reward. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-honey-bee-brain-chemistry-human.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:00:11 EST news690031923 A recent study shows that viruses in wild bees are closely linked to the flowers they visit and the availability of floral resources across the landscape. Researchers found that certain floral communities increase the likelihood of virus presence, and that flowers can serve as hubs for virus transmission between wild bees and honey bees. The findings suggest that pollinator conservation efforts must consider disease dynamics alongside habitat restoration. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-viruses-wild-bees.html Plants & Animals Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:48:40 EST news687703682 About 20,000 years ago, a family of owls lived in a cave. Sometimes, they would cough up owl pellets containing the bones of their prey, which landed on the cave floor. And, researchers have just discovered, ancient bees would use the bones' empty tooth sockets as nests. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-owl-leftovers-home-ancient-baby.html Ecology Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:10:01 EST news685099141 It sounds like the plot of a medieval historical drama: A once-powerful monarch, weakened by illness, is overthrown by her previously loyal subjects. But in honey bee colonies, such high-stakes coups aren't just fantasy—they're a common occurrence that comes with both risk and reward for bee colonies and the food systems that depend on them. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-honey-bees-queen.html Plants & Animals Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:29:04 EDT news680804942 Bees and butterflies help produce our food by pollinating the crops farmers grow. In fact, 35% of the world's food crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, depend on pollinators. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-qa-insect-pollinators-higher-quality.html Ecology Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:02:05 EDT news678034921 Organic beekeeping can support healthy and productive honey bee colonies, and a new study led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has found that adopting organic honey bee colony management is not only profitable, but in some cases, it can be even more profitable than conventional management. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-beekeeping-profitable-conventional-methods.html Plants & Animals Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:10:04 EDT news677430401 Several genetic variants associated with social behavior in honey bees are located within genes that have previously been linked to social behavior in humans, Ian Traniello at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S., and colleagues report in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The results hint at ancient roots of social behavior that have been conserved across species. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-genetic-mechanisms-underpin-social-life.html Ecology Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:00:03 EDT news677146456 A new study led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help tackle the devastating decline in honeybees. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-bees-superfoods-supplement-boosts-colony.html Plants & Animals Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:00:05 EDT news674841241 Montana State University-led research finds that bees with deformed wing virus flew shorter distances, whereas bees with sacbrood virus flew greater distances at higher speeds. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-hidden-honey-bee-viruses-flight.html Ecology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:39:55 EDT news674210366 Decades ago, archaeologists discovered a sticky substance in a copper jar in an ancient Greek shrine. Until recently, the identity of the residue was still murky—is it a mixture of fats, oils and beeswax or something else? https://phys.org/news/2025-07-year-honey.html Materials Science Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:00:01 EDT news672936974 Sweat covers Isaac Barnes's face under his beekeeper's veil as he hauls boxes of honeycomb from his hives to his truck. It's a workout in what feels like a sauna as the late-morning June temperatures rise. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-bees-ways-cope-earth-future.html Plants & Animals Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:50:27 EDT news672321013 The majority of Earth's plant species, including our crop plants, rely on the services of animal pollinators in order to reproduce. Honey bees and other pollinating insects annually contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, and are responsible for nearly a third of the food that ends up on our tables. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-voracious-honey-bees-threaten-food.html Plants & Animals Mon, 07 Jul 2025 03:00:01 EDT news670750501