Bees could be affected by a flurry of legal and policy changes coming out of D.C.
Monday was the deadline for public comment on revisions to the Endangered Species Act, which many people might have missed. But the ESA revisions are just some in a long list of changes now coming down the line. Have you seen how the Farm Bill could impact bees? Here's a map to make it a little bit easier to understand where all the changes are coming from and where they'll land.
And now... Glyphosate.
We know how bad neonicotinoid insecticides are for bees. But now there's evidence that the world’s most widely used weed killer – glyphosate – may also be indirectly killing bees. According to Erick Motta, the graduate student who led the research, "We need better guidelines for glyphosate use, especially regarding bee exposure, because right now the guidelines assume bees are not harmed by the herbicide. Our study shows that’s not true." Read more.
Work with bees could unlock potential strength of natural designs in new materials
This is some pretty cool work in biomimicry. Read more.
Novel flying robot mimics rapid insect flight
New advances in insect-based flight. A step closer to robo-bees?
Read more.