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Tag Archives: nectar

Honey’s hidden helper

By Stephen Ornes / May 9, 2013

A new study identified compounds in honey that help bees fight off germs. Credit: Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Scientists identify a substance in honey that helps bee bodies fight poisons

Posted in Animals | Tagged bee, colony collapse disorder, Dennis vanEngelsdorp, detox genes, entomology, gene, getinvolved, honey, honeybee, nectar, p-coumaric acid, pollen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Maryland in College Park

Another buzz for bees

By Stephen Ornes / March 24, 2013

The caffeine in some flower nectar gives bees a memory boost, a new study shows. Credit: Image courtesy of Geraldine Wright

Blooms are more memorable when their nectar contains caffeine

Posted in Animals | Tagged bees, behavior, brain, caffeine, coffee, England, Gerladine Wright, getinvolved, honeybees, nectar, neuroscience, Newcastle University, Pollination, protection, stimulant, tea, topstories

Flower power

By Stephen Ornes / March 11, 2013

Scientists report that bees and flowers appear to have a charged communication. In addition to a flower’s color and scent, its electric field may also bring in bees, a new study shows. Credit: Emily Krieger

Electric field around flowers may help bees find nutritious blooms

Posted in Animals, Plants | Tagged bees, biology, charge, Daniel Robert, electric field, electric potential, electricity, entomology, flowers, getinvolved, nectar, negative charge, Pollination, positive charge, sensory biology, Stephen Buchmann, University of Arizona at Tucson, University of Bristol

Secret signals

By Roberta Kwok / January 15, 2013

Chemicals called pheromones act as messengers between individuals. Many plants and animals — including squid — respond to such secret chemical signals. Credit: Roger T. Hanlon

Animals respond to chemical messages they may not even realize they’re swapping

Posted in Chemistry | Tagged Adaptation, aphids, bombykol, Butenandt, cephalopod, chemical attractant, chemical communication, chemical messenger, Dendrobium sinense, elephant, emperor moth, fear, feature, honeybee, hormones, Jean-Henri Fabre, Jennifer Brodmann, Lamprey, longfin inshore squid, lure, luteinizing hormone, Manfred Ayasse, Marine Biological Laboratory, Monell Chemical Senses Center, nectar, octopus, orchid, pheromones, pollen, Roger Hanlon, sex attractant, silk moth, squid, topstories, Tristram Wyatt, University of Oxford, University of Ulm, Woods Hole, Wysocki