Honeybee Queens May Pass Toxic Chemicals to the Next Generation
A honeybee queen surrounded by her retinue, which is an ever-changing group of worker bees charged with her…
Scientists Thought Royal Jelly Made Queen Bees. They Were Wrong
Royal jelly is only part of what makes a queen honeybee. Scientists found that worker bees build specialized…
Queen cell architecture shapes honey bee queen development
Hepburn, H. R., Pirk, C. W. W. & Duangphakdee, O. Honeybee Nests: Composition, Structure, Function (Springer, 2014). Maleszka,…
In local cemeteries, bees rise from among the dead
Cornell professor of entomology, Bryan Danforth, and his research assistant, Henry Steig, are walking slowly through Webster Union…
This Single Mother Must Learn Quickly — Or Her Colony Won’t Survive
Being a single mother of 20 is no joke, especially if the survival of a whole species depends…
Hibernating Bumblebee Queens Can Actually Breathe Underwater Like Tiny Scuba Divers
Bombus impatiens queen. Credit: Wikimedia Commons A newly mated bumblebee queen typically spends the winter alone underground. After…
This rare Japanese ant species is made entirely of queens
In the hidden chambers of Japanese forests, a quiet rebellion has been unfolding for decades. Scientists have now…
This Parasitic Ant Uses Mystery Goo to Turn Colonies Against Their Queen
Nature can get downright brutal in the most unexpected ways—especially when parasites are involved. For the well-organized society…