Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 165
Although flowering meadowland/open habitat is the predominant landscape associated with #bumblebees and #bees the vital role that #forests, woodland and #trees may play in the bee life cycle should not be underestimated.
#nature
#biodiversity
#insects
#worldbeesanctuary
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 164
Research suggests urban #bumblebees are more phenotypically diverse as there is a greater RANGE of flowers available in urban areas and #bees developing more diversity of traits gives the colony more options when foraging.
#nature
#biodiversity
#environment
#science
#insects
#worldbeesanctuary
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 163
Research suggesting urban #bumblebees are smaller than their country cousins proposes that this difference in size is down to availability of resources and ‘urban warming’.
Less food and warmer environment = smaller #bees.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 162
A study in Switzerland focusing on two species of #bumblebee commonly found throughout Europe suggests that ‘City Bumblebees’ are smaller but more phenotypically diverse than their ‘Country Bumblebee’ cousins.
#bees
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#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#science
#wildlife #vegan #health
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 161
# 160 contd.
Research found that in hotter and wetter years #bees had higher wing asymmetry meaning higher stress.
So #climate change bringing more hotter/wetter years will mean ever more stress on #bumblebees going forward.
#nature
#science
#biodiversity
#insects
#worldbeesanctuary
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 160
# 159 contd.
Using bee specimens dating back to 1900 and concentrating on 4 species of #bumblebee research in the UK showed that based on wing asymmetry #bees experienced more and more stress as the 20th century progressed.
#nature
#wildlife
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#pollinators #insects #science
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 159
Bees develop asymmetrical wings when they experience stress during their development.
Very differently shaped left and right wings is an indicator of stress from an external factor which affects normal growth.
#bees
#nature
#worldbeesanctuary
#biodiversity
#pollinators
#wildlife
#bumblebees
#vegan #organic
#science
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 158
# 157 contd.
As the planet warms the range of temperatures in which #bumblebees can operate could shrink significantly.
#Bees carrying less pollen or foraging for shorter will have implications for colony health/pollination.
#nature
#climate
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#pollinators
#wildlife
#vegan #organic
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 157
# 156 contd.
Research showed that the body temperature of #bumblebees rose 0.07°C for each milligram of pollen that they were carrying.
Fully laden bees were 2°C warmer than unladen #bees.
This matters on a warming #planet.
#nature
#biodiversity
#food
#foodsecurity
#pollination
#insects
#wildlife
#worldbeesanctuary
#climatechange
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 156
Research conducted recently in the US confirmed that carrying pollen raises bumblebee body temperature.
Temperature of #bumblebees carrying pollen was shown to be a lot higher than that of #bees with empty pollen baskets.
#nature
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#wildlife
#clover
#vegan #organic
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 155
# 154 contd.
On the flip side heatwaves also reduce the quantity of nectar produced by plants which means less food available to #bumblebees already suffering from heat stress. So the #bees may throw in the towel and go home!
#nature
#science
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 154
# 153 contd.
Research indicates that heatwaves directly hinder #bumblebee foraging through thermal stress on the #bees.
Less time is spent actively foraging and the number of plants and #flowers they visit is reduced.
#climate
#nature
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 153
Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer and intense.
#Heatwaves negatively affect the success of bumblebee foraging and pollination.
In a real #climate ‘double whammy’ the heat directly interferes with both #bees and #plants.
#nature
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#vegan #organic
#wildlife #insects #science
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 152
When there’s an influx of nectar into the bumblebee nest more workers are deployed to forage.
The higher the quality of the nectar arriving and the emptier the honeypots the greater the number of foragers that respond.
#bees
#nature
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#wildlife
#ireland
#pollinators
#insects #vegan #organic
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 151
# 150 contd.
‘Honeypots’ don’t just store food but vital information too.
Worker #bumblebees in the nest constantly monitor honeypots sampling contents to gather information on the nectar which determines nest foraging activity.
#bees
#nature
#biodiversity
#worldbeesanctuary
#vegan #organic #science
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 150
Unlike honey bees #bumblebees don’t produce and store large supplies of #honey but rather keep small quantities of #nectar to feed on in the nest in ‘honeypots’ constructed from a mixture of secreted wax and pollen.
#bees
#nature
#biodiversity
#clover
#worldbeesanctuary
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 149
Bumblebees work up to 16 hour days when weather conditions and light allows. The last workers returning to the nest around sunset.
Unionisation obviously not tolerated by queens!
#bees
#bumblebees
#nature
#worldbersanctuary
#biodiversity
#science
#rise #disrupt #question
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 148
Bumblebee vision is poor in low light.
This means that flying at dawn or dusk increases the chance of being preyed upon or getting lost.
Therefore most foraging tends to occur when light levels are higher.
#bees
#bumblebees
#nature
#science
#worldbeesanctuary
#insects
#wildlife
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 147
Observation suggests that the first bumblebee workers leave the nest not at sunrise but up to 2 hours later. The trigger for departure is when the overnight temperature changes from falling to rising and the sun is up.
#bees
#nature
#biodiversity
#bumblebees
#science
#worldbeesanctuary
#wildlife
#vegan
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 146
Female worker #bumblebees adjust their sleep patterns depending on their role in the nest.
Foragers have strong sleep and wake cycles while #bees tasked with nursing duties work around the clock to tend the brood.
Nurses rock!
#nature
#worldbeesanctuary
#biodiversity
#wildlife
#summer #vegan #organic
#insects
