SFGATE - On a Saturday morning in mid-April, driving into Joshua Tree National Park’s Ryan Campground, the scenery was striking: Giant, rounded boulders. Scurrying lizards. Spiky cholla cactus, shrubby creosote and, of course, the park’s namesake Joshua trees. But on the short walk from car to campsite, a more concerning life form came into view...
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE - Project Apis m. reported massive colony loss in early 2025, estimating around 1.6 million colonies lost in a report from April — a large number considering the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated the total number of United States colonies is 2.7 million. While there have been continuous losses of 30...
EARTH.COM - Honeybees have been indispensable to agriculture for centuries. Their role in pollination supports food production, contributing to the growth of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and coffee. Without bees and proper hive health, many crops would struggle, leading to food shortages. But bee populations are shrinking due to bad weather, chemicals, and pests. This harms...
INTERESTING ENGINEERING - In light of the diminishing number of honeybees, a computer science team from UC Riverside has developed the technology to improve beehive health in commercial settings. “Over the last year, the U.S. lost over 55% of its honeybee colonies,” Boris Baer , UCR professor of entomology, told UC Riverside News. “We are...
IN FOCUS - The bee population is declining and experts say that’s a serious issue because they provide us with a very important service … pollination. Professor Boris Baer of UC Riverside talks about how 1/3 of the food grown in the U.S. is pollinated by bees, a process necessary for plants to reproduce. Baer...