Butterflies and moths collect so much static electricity while in flight that pollen grains from flowers can be pulled across air gaps of several millimetres or centimetres. The finding, published […] Read more
Tag Archives pollination
Static electricity attracts pollen to insects
Science Notes: Butterflies, moths pull pollen to them without touching plants
U of G hits sweet spot with honeybee research centre
New centre to operate as hive of community engagement
The University of Guelph is abuzz with anticipation now the ground has broken for a new $16 million honeybee research facility. The 15,000-square-foot Luckevich Pinchin Honey Bee Research Centre (HBRC) […] Read more
Ontario beekeepers reeling from triple-season hit
Poor weather and varroa mite extract heavy toll on colonies
A tough fall, unstable winter temperatures and a cool spring have conspired to take a major toll on honeybee populations in Ontario and throughout Canada. Populations of varroa mite, a […] Read more
How viable is mechanical pollination?
Pollen collection, not just distribution, is a major hurdle for those trying to help insects
An Israeli start-up company has developed a mechanical pollination system that it says will help ensure the continued production of nutritious food. There is concern about the decline of pollinators […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat futures top two-month high on global harvest worries
Corn, soybeans firm as U.S. weather looks hotter, drier
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures on Thursday leapt to their highest prices in more than two months as the latest crop estimates in major exporting […] Read more
Pollinator plots open eyes and create conversations
Sixty plots will be established at the edges of farms after two years of the program
Across Ontario’s farm country over the past two years, small patches of fields have been transformed into a mix of flowering plants ideal for attracting bees and other insects and […] Read more
Bee-based disease prevention
Inoculating flowering plants with insect-delivered fungus can help limit disease
Fungi that can inoculate crops against disease can be applied using insects — bumblebees, to be specific. According to Bee Vectoring Technology (BVT) — a Canadian company with offices in […] Read more
Ontario, Manitoba corn crops need rain
CNS Canada — Corn development in key growing areas of Ontario and Manitoba remains highly variable as the crop nears its yield-determining phase. “The pollination stage is the critical part […] Read more
Study of bumblebee decline points to climate ‘vise’
A study of the shrinking range of bumblebee habitat suggests farmers relying on those species to pollinate crops may soon have to look elsewhere, barring a reversal of climate change — […] Read more
Tiny number of bees account for most crop pollination, study finds
Oslo | Reuters — Just two per cent of wild bee species do almost 80 per cent of their work in pollinating crops, according to a study on Tuesday that […] Read more