Pheromone increases foraging honey bees, leads to healthier hives
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 - 14:31
in Biology & Nature
The application of a naturally occurring pheromone to honey bee test colonies increases colony growth resulting in stronger hives overall, according to a new study. The study comes amid national concern in the U.S. over the existence of honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) -- a combination of events that result in the death of a bee colony. The causes behind CCD remain unknown, but researchers are focusing on four possible contributing factors: disease, pests, environmental conditions and nutrition.