


Pollinators, Biodiversity, and Healthy Ecosystems
Diadasia sp. bee in a prickly pear cactus flower. Bees in this group forage exclusively on a small number of native North American desert-dwelling plants. PHOTO CREDIT: Heather Broccard-Bell Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, I want to spend this post exploring the...
What is Pollination?
Unlike honey bees, most bee species, like this Augochlorella sp. sweat bee, are solitary. Collectively, bees, which include about 20,000 different species, account for approximately 60% of plant pollination globally. PHOTO CREDIT: Heather Broccard-Bell Author: Heather...
Know Thy Enemy (Part 2): Inbreeding & Varroa Mites
Female varroa mite under a dissecting microscope. Author: Heather Broccard-Bell, Ph.D., Honey Bee Health Researcher. Featured photo credit: H. Broccard-Bell. Know Thy Enemy (Part 2): Inbreeding & Varroa Mites NERD ALERT: Our blog series on Understanding...
Know Thy Enemy (Part 1): Who is Varroa Destructor?
Female Varroa destructor under a dissecting microscope. Author: Heather Broccard-Bell, Ph.D., Honey Bee Health Researcher. Featured photo credit: H. Broccard-Bell. Know Thy Enemy: Understanding Varroa In the ongoing quest to improve the health, happiness, and...