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Could honeybees help us understand FASD? This Saskatoon researcher watches hives for clues
Could honeybees help us understand FASD? This Saskatoon researcher watches hives for clues

CBC

time3 days ago

  • Health
  • CBC

Could honeybees help us understand FASD? This Saskatoon researcher watches hives for clues

A researcher from Saskatoon wants to learn more about the effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) by using honeybees. Sarah Wood, research chair in pollinator health at University of Saskatchewan, has looked at how FASD affects the movements of bees, and now she is looking to see how it may affect bees socially. "There's this genetic connection between the social behaviour of honeybees and humans that we thought we'd like to explore in the context of FASD," said Wood. She says a previous study that looked at honeybees is a potential model for autism in humans. "What they found was that for honeybees that were socially non-responsive in certain situations, they had some of the same genes unregulated as humans with autism," said Wood. Her research around FASD is already being carried out and led by a masters student who is raising honeybees in the lab — from larvae to adults. At the same time, Wood says they include low concentrations of ethanol through the larval diet to observe how it impacts the development of the honeybee until they are fully grown. Honeybees are then introduced to an observation hive. "This is a glass-sided hive where we can observe the behaviour of the honeybees and we can look at how they interact with their nest mates, how they share food, how they communicate and also how the bees interact with their queen," she said. Each honeybee will be identified by a numbered tag attached to their thorax so they will be easy to identify and compare the treatments and controls, said Wood. Link between bees and humans Wood says honeybees are a eusocial species where they have cooperative brood care — they work together to care for larvae and have overlapping generations. "And they have division of labour," said Wood, noting that different ages of bees have different jobs in the hive. "All of those properties, you know, we can sort of see in our own human society. And so perhaps it's not surprising that honeybees might be a good model for human conditions," she said. Stephen Pernal, a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says honeybees offer a lot of potential when it comes to looking at the progression of a disease and what factors may affect it. "Now with the advent of genetic technologies, we can look at gene expression," said Pernal. "And we do know, some of the genes that honeybees have are common in terms of expression between autism in people and an insect." He says "animal models" are commonly used for research because it would be unethical to treat humans with disease to look for cures or at progressions of the disease. "They could be fish, they could be things like worms, like nematodes and in fact sometimes insects are used in animal models as well," said Pernal. Beyond ethics, Pernal says using an animal model is often cheaper and quicker when it comes to getting answers to the questions that may want to be used in a human model. "Honeybees are super social. They have co-operative group care, they have division of labour, they have tasks which reduce diseases by social skills," said Pernal. He says a honeybee's social behaviour can be characterized by observing their role in a hive. "I believe the idea is if you were to expose honeybees to some sort of threat, in this case alcohol, we could look at their effects on their social skills as adults and use that as a model to compare what might actually happen in people." Pernal says there aren't a lot of other systems that could be used to explore changes in adult behaviours and socialization in other animals. What the research shows so far Wood says when looking at how the ethanol affects a bee's development, they noticed the honeybees that have been exposed to higher concentrations of ethanol have covered less distance compared to those that had less. "They weren't moving normally compared to the controls," she said. Looking forward, Wood says the more immediate outcome of her research would be to spark more positive conversations around FASD and support for the families affected. "The long-term goal for this research would be to develop a drug discovery animal model as sort of a cheap and easy model that we could use to screen potential therapeutics for treatment of FASD," she said.

Take a look inside the Port Glasgow apiary home to half a million bees
Take a look inside the Port Glasgow apiary home to half a million bees

Yahoo

time16-07-2025

  • General
  • Yahoo

Take a look inside the Port Glasgow apiary home to half a million bees

A GROUP of busy beekeepers have given homes to half a million bees who help Inverclyde's nature flourish and grow alongside offering a therapeutic experience for some. The Inverclyde Shed has been looking after 50,000 honeybees which have been nestled amongst an industrial estate in Port Glasgow for nearly five years and locals are able to get up close and personal with the buzzing insects. The apiary, located in Devol industrial estate, is home to 10 honeybee colonies. They feed off the long, flowery garden where their hives stay and a large garden with over 200-foot-tall tress just behind the enclosures fence - this benefits both the bees and the gardens. The Port Glasgow apiary has 10 hives which are home to 50,000 bees each (Image: George Munro) Three years ago, the hives were moved from the Shed's market garden to a few streets away after a couple of queen bees died, with group members saving as many colonies as they could. Earlier this month the Tele took a visit to the apiary and got the chance to suit up and take a look inside one of the hives, learning about bee husbandry, how beekeepers identify problems with the creatures and how they help them produce honey. (Image: George Munro) A harvest of honey is only collected three times a year (Image: George Munro) Founder of the organisation Bruce Newlands said the beekeeping group has developed into a project that he says has become a 'unique' hobby for many and, despite the bees at the Port Glasgow site not being they type which are endangered, the group is still helping pollinators within the local ecosystem. Bruce said: 'The reason the Shed does bees is that we found out that it can be remarkably therapeutic and very calming for people. 'Of course, we get honey and produce from the apiary but that's not our reason for looking after these bees. 'We spend a lot more time looking after them than taking honey, we are far more interested in the environmental impact it can have as well as the therapeutic benefits it can have for people.' Bruce says they have had people with bipolar and anxiety struggles get involved because of the bees calming properties. Other News Greenock man pays tribute to 'inspirational' wife after her rare cancer diagnosis New swimmers make a splash at annual IASC championships New show with 100 pieces of amazing art goes on show at Beacon David Maugere has been a beekeeper at the Devol site for a few years now and has developed the apiary onto a 'different scale' by taking the bees into schools across Inverclyde and hosting sessions in libraries to teach people about the creatures and see close up how they work. David, who is originally from France, says he has found a great community in the Shed having joined in 2020 and has been able to bring his love of beekeeping to Inverclyde. He told the Tele: 'Having seen my own kids take an interest in the bees, we have decided to take a different approach to the apiary this year and take it out of the garden and into schools. 'We want to show off how much fun beekeeping can be and teach people. 'It's amazing to see the group grow from only a couple of us to nearly 10 of us.' Bruce Newlands (left) Tele reporter Isla Robertson and David Maugere (right) (Image: George Munro) David now trains up new Shed members to work with the colonies and has also been saving bees from across Inverclyde, recently rehoming a swam of them who were living in Greenock supermarket car park. To enquire about visiting the apiary, contact the Shed at contact@ Those interested should also keep an eye on the Shed's Facebook page where they will post dates for further library information sessions with the bees.

Manitoba wildfire smoke putting honeybee hives under stress
Manitoba wildfire smoke putting honeybee hives under stress

CTV News

time16-07-2025

  • Climate
  • CTV News

Manitoba wildfire smoke putting honeybee hives under stress

The smoke from Manitoba wildfires is having an impact on honey producers in the province. Danton Unger reports. From farmers' fields to honey bee hives – producers worry thick wildfire smoke is having a hefty impact. Kon Paseschnikoff has been keeping honey bees since he was a boy. The owner of Bee Boyzz Honey and Meadery keeps hundreds of thousands of bees buzzing on his property southwest of Winnipeg. The honey they produce goes into all sorts of products like flavoured honey, craft mead, and sparkling tea. But this year, Paseschnikoff said wildfire smoke has been impacting his hives. 'With the heavy smoke, you could see the small activity here in the bee yards,' he said. 'They weren't as active.' According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), it's been one of the smokiest years on record, prompting several air quality warnings so far this year. 'Winnipeg, for example, we're actually at our third smokiest year on record,' ECCC Meteorologist Crawford Luke told CTV News. He said so far this year, Winnipeg has recorded 172 hours of smoke this year. The only years that saw more smoke have been 2021 (262 hours of smoke) and 1961 (304 hours of smoke). Paseschnikoff said thick smoke makes the bees more docile – keeping to their boxes rather than venturing out. It can also mess with their sense of smell and direction. 'It's a little challenging for them to find the nectar,' he said. That means less honey. 'We are seeing dramatic effects of climate change on our honeybees. The bees are under stress from weather events,' said Paul Gregory with the Manitoba Beekeepers' Association. Gregory said the smoke – paired with other environmental threats like drought and pests – could lead to a big drop in yields for the province's roughly 200 honey producers. 'I would guesstimate between 25 and 30 per cent,' he said. It's not just the apiaries that would feel the hit with the loss of these expert pollinators. 'Crop farmers, farmers that are growing clovers, tree foil, buckwheat, fruit crops – they're all impacted because they don't have the honeybees. They're not going to get the seed yield,' he said. Paseschnikoff said he expects his harvest will take a hit, though he won't know just how bad until the end of the year. But like the bees themselves, Paseschnikoff said beekeepers are resilient. 'Every day is a learning curve. You can come to a yard and the bees look really, really good, or they look really weak, and then they just turn around overnight,' he said. 'Sometimes it's a funny creature.'

Scientists issue warning over damaging pest spreading across vast area: 'Not as benign as some might think'
Scientists issue warning over damaging pest spreading across vast area: 'Not as benign as some might think'

Yahoo

time15-06-2025

  • Science
  • Yahoo

Scientists issue warning over damaging pest spreading across vast area: 'Not as benign as some might think'

European honeybees might be good for agriculture, but they're causing some serious problems for Australia's native bees. A new study points out that these introduced bees are taking over important food sources and making it harder for native species to survive. According to a group of researchers at Curtin University recently looked at how European honeybees are affecting native bee populations in Perth. The study, published in Frontiers in Bee Science, is titled "Introduced honeybees … potentially reduce fitness of cavity-nesting native bees through a male-biased sex ratio, brood mortality, and reduced reproduction." It consisted of placing "bee hotels" around the city. These bee hotels are basically small shelters where bees can lay their eggs, and the goal was to keep track of which species were using them and how well they were doing. What researchers found wasn't great: In places where there were more honeybees, native bees had a tougher time. They weren't producing as many female offspring, which are essential for continuing the species. There were also more dead larvae and smaller, weaker male bees. Dr. Kit Prendergast, who led the study, talked about these results and said that "this shows that honeybees are not as benign as some might think — they can negatively impact local ecosystems and potentially contribute to declines in native bee populations." When native pollinators struggle, their ecosystem suffers. Native bees are specially adapted to pollinate local plants (those that support other wildlife and help keep the environment in balance). If these bees disappear, it could mean fewer flowers, fewer fruits and vegetables, and fewer animals that depend on them. In addition, it could make our food supply less secure. Native bees play a huge role in pollinating crops, and if they're pushed out, this means more pressure on the food system. There's still hope for native bees, but it'll take some effort. One of the best ways to help is by making sure there aren't too many honeybees in areas where native bees live. Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Adding more native plants to gardens and public spaces can also make a big difference. These are the plants that native bees know how to use, and they're often better suited to the local climate. Creating spaces for bees to nest and avoiding harmful chemicals like pesticides can help, too. This isn't just about protecting bees: It's about protecting the systems we all depend on. By giving native bees the room and resources they need, we're building a cleaner future for everyone. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

Bees rehomed in hives above Bournemouth entertainment venue
Bees rehomed in hives above Bournemouth entertainment venue

BBC News

time06-06-2025

  • Business
  • BBC News

Bees rehomed in hives above Bournemouth entertainment venue

Five thousand honeybees have been rehomed in two hives on the roof of an entertainment and conference new home is on top of the Bournemouth International Centre as part of a project arranged by the Bee Mission Turner, director of venues at operator BH Live, said: "This is just another step towards making Bournemouth International Centre a more sustainable venue and doing our bit."The new hives will eventually home between 20,000 and 40,000 honeybees. Bee Mission installs hives across Dorset and Hampshire, and cooks and delivers hot meals to the homeless in Bournemouth through the proceeds of its honey Foster, from the charity, said: "The team who runs the venue had wanted some hives on the roof for a while. "Through some mutual connections, they discovered the great work of Bee Mission.... we went round to check the area was appropriate for the bees, which it was - and now they've moved in, which is great to see." Bee Mission's resident beekeeper Serge Seliukov said: "Anyone going to Bournemouth International Centre will probably not even notice the bees. "While 20,000 sounds like a lot of bees, in reality, it's not that many and they won't bother anyone. "They'll be heading straight to the flowers on Bournemouth's clifftops and gardens which is why it's a great spot for them with plenty of food. "This variety of bees are bred to be very gentle and polite, so they won't be disturbing anyone with their buzz-iness." Bee Mission was launched by local businessman Chris Bialan."We've always had big ideas, big targets, and a big mission for Dorset and Hampshire, but we are confident in the power of the community to help and support each other and the bees," he Live is a registered charity and social enterprise, and operates the centre with BCP Council. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.

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