Search results for pollinator food

A new study led by Penn State found that the squash bee (Eucera pruinosa) has evolved in response to intensifying agriculture — namely squashes in the genus Curcurbita. The research is the first to demonstrate the role of agriculture as an evolutionary force acting on a wild insect pollinator and may have implications for food security.

Note: This student manual is currently being revised. Stay tuned for an update While this document is perhaps most useful to students who have already decided to come to Penn State, it may still be of interest to prospective students.

Neonicotinoid insecticides used to control spotted lanternflies have the potential to harm pollinators, but the degree of risk depends on multiple factors, such as application timing, type of neonicotinoid, the species of tree being treated and pollinator species sensitivity, according to entomologists at Penn State.

Bumble bees found in low-quality landscapes — characterized by a relative lack of spring flowers and quality nesting habitat — had higher levels of disease pathogens, as did bumble bees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives, according to research led by Penn State scientists.

U.S. college students’ knowledge of bees focuses primarily on honey bees and pollination services, according to Penn State researchers, who said findings from their recent study could help in designing campaigns to generate support for protecting threatened pollinators.

Winter survival of honey bee colonies is strongly influenced by summer temperatures and precipitation in the prior year, according to Penn State researchers, who said their findings suggest that honey bees have a "goldilocks" preferred range of summer conditions outside of which their probability of surviving the winter falls.

D. C. SOERGEL, N. OSTIGUY, S. J. FLEISCHER, R. R. TROYER, E. G. RAJOTTE, AND G. KRAWCZYK

Animal pollinators provide an essential service to flowering plants, worldwide.

The effects of pesticide exposure on pollinator health may be more complicated than originally thought, according to a team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Insect Biodiversity Fellow Laura Laiton reports on how monocultural farming practices can change to better serve diverse and beneficial insect communities