MAY 15,
2019
by Jules
Bernstein, University
of California - Riverside
There has
been a lot of buzz about honeybees' failing health because they pollinate our
produce. Less well known is how critical bumblebees are for some of our
favorite foods. And their numbers are also rapidly declining.
A new
study from the University of California, Riverside, reveals the loss of plant
diversity harms the humble bumble at a critical stage in its development from
egg to adult.
Study
lead Hollis Woodard, assistant professor of entomology, explained bumblebees
perform a type of pollination that honeybees do not. The fuzzy insects use
their jaws to shake flowers until they release their pollen, and this process
is essential for food
crops, such as tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries,
peppers, eggplants, and potatoes.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!