by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Bees are critical in food cultivation but in recent decades the number of bee colonies has sharply declined and is a significant threat to the world’s food supply. Scientists in Arkansas are doing research that could lead to ways to protect the world’s bee populations.
Olivia Kline, an entomology doctoral student at the University of Arkansas, works in the research program of Neelendra Joshi, associate professor of entomology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. He specializes in research on pollinator health, fruit entomology, integrated pest management and pesticide toxicology.
Their research focuses on blue orchard bees, a type of mason bee native to Arkansas and many other areas in the U.S. Joshi said they are easy to identify because of their iridescent blue color. They nest in tunnels left behind by other insects, like the galleries carved out of trees and wood structures by boring beetles.
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/08/researchers-aim-to-strengthen-bee-pollinator-populations/
Neelandra Joshi, associate professor of pollinator health, fruit entomology, IPM and pesticide toxicology, shows how masonry bees build nests in tubes designed to simulate the kind of cavities the bees prrefer to use for nesting. (UA System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)
Neelandra Joshi, associate professor of pollinator health, fruit entomology, IPM and pesticide toxicology, shows how masonry bees build nests in tubes designed to simulate the kind of cavities the bees prrefer to use for nesting. (UA System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)