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One day I had found some bees have come around the light source like other positively photo tropic insects, I hadn't seen any bees coming over light before. I think bees are diurnal and they don't leave their nest at nights, I also read from an article that parasitic wasps may attack bees and these attacked bees would lose their mind and leave their nest at nights.
Is this possible or any other reason behind the night travel of bees and their positive photo tropism ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocephalus_borealis
Honey bees rely on the position of the sun (and the ephemeris function) to navigate and communicate (i.e. the waggle dance). If they are out too late in the day to return to the hive (occasional), or if they are disturbed at night in the hive, they will fly towards a light.
Beekeepers and bee renters have learned that if you are going to disturb a hive at night, do so with minimal light so as not to lose bees. Also, they avoid lights in the vicinity of the hive in general.
There are a number of parasites and insecticides that cause bees to behave erratically. Colony Collapse Disorder is a major threat to the honeybee's survival.
Why are bees attracted to light? I don't know if anyone knows that.
Dinner and Dancing: Bee Navigation
The Cause Of Colony Collapse Disorder, Disappearing Bees Becoming More Clear
Phototropism in Plants
Phototropism in plants is a process where a plant bends in response to sunlight or any other light source. Plants sense light stimuli through their photoreceptors proteins. These specialized protein molecules or photoreceptors form a complex with the light-absorbing pigment (chromophore). When a chromophore absorbs light radiations, it brings changes in the photoreceptors’ structural configuration and initiates a signalling pathway. The signal then receives a light stimulus and responds accordingly.
We all know that the plants are the living organisms that remain fixed at one place by their roots. Thus, the plants cannot move, but they actually do. Now, you must wonder how the plants move? So, the answer is that the plants cannot walk like us, but their parts like the shoot system and root system tend to respond to external stimuli like light, water, wind, and chemical sources called tropism. Tropism merely refers to the response of living organisms, either similar or opposite to the direction of the external stimulus.
Phototropism merely refers to the plant’s directional movement (either towards or away) in response to a light stimulus. The plants mediate activities like energy production (photosynthesis), plant growth, and hormone production after receiving light stimuli. Some parts of plants (stems, leaves and flowers) show positive phototropism (bends towards the light). Oppositely, roots show negative phototropism (moves away from the light source).
In this context, definition, discoveries that led to the introduction of phototropism theory, mechanism, types and a brief overview of the phototropism phenomena. You will also get to know the role of plant hormones (phototropins and auxins) in the process of phototropism.
Content: Phototropism in Plants
See bees work up close behind the scenes with a beekeeper
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A Fort Wayne retired man has turned a hobby into a business and his co-workers are bees. Bees do amazing work and without them, the planet would not pollinate flowers, fruits and vegetables the same way.
Glenn Hile is spending his retired life with dozens of bee hives and has his own honey business.
“So I started with one hive. One hive became two. Two became four. Four became ten. It’s kind of a hobby that got out of hand. But I’m just fascinated. I was a biology major and then I worked as a plant breeder for years so I’ve always been interested in the natural world and biology type things,” Hile says.
Bees work 24 hours a day, and don’t sleep. The buzzing insect’s life span is six weeks and spends most of that time in the hive. The last two weeks of its life, it is out flying around, pollinating and collecting honey.
“Really, June, July and August there’s not that much to do and then in August it’s gets busy again because that’s when we start pulling the honey,” says Hile.
Bees develop somewhat like a butterfly. They “go through a metamorphosis just like a butterfly does, and they’re spin a cocoon under what is called a brood and turn from a larvae from a little worm into a honeybee,” Hile explains.
Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Community Center in New Haven is hosting an introduction to beekeeping class with Glenn. The class is free, registration is required. Click HERE to register. Bees will be at the class for an up close and personal experience. Crafts for adults and children can be made to take home as well.
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Reasons Why Your Bees Could Be Flying Towards Night Lights
Even when it’s unlikely to see bees flying towards the light, it doesn’t mean it never happens! I remember finding one of my bees flying around the light in my laundry room – the closest part of the house to one of my beehives.
Here are two reasons they could be doing this, and what to do about each one:
1. ‘Zombees’ – Phorid Fly, Apocephalus borealis Or Zombie Fly Parasite
In some cases, the reason why bees show a strong attraction to light at night is called Zombie Fly, or by its scientific name, Apocephalus borealis.
This phorid fly generally parasitizes other insects like ants and bumblebees. Recently, it was also confirmed that it parasitized honeybees in North America.
Unsurprisingly, this has raised significant concern as it can become a grave risk to the honeybee population.
Photo Attribution
Core A, Runckel C, Ivers J, Quock C, Siapno T, et al. (2012). “A new threat to honey bees, the parasitic phorid fly Apocephalus borealis.” PLoS ONE 7 (1). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0029639. Retrieved on 04 January 2012., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Parasitized honeybees are called ‘Zombees’ because of their zombie-like behavior characterized by their tendency to leave their hive at night and even during adverse weather conditions. They are also attracted to lights, seem to walk in circles or look disoriented, cannot stand on their legs, and die shortly after.
What To Do If You Suspect Your Bees Have Been Parasitized
First of all, especially if you live in North America, look for other symptoms or behavior like disorientation, loss of balance, hive abandonment, and death.
I highly recommend you check the Zombee Watch website, where you will be able to find reliable information about the Zombie fly parasite, a map of reported cases, and contribute to its research.
Zombee Watch is a citizen science project sponsored by the San Francisco State University Department of Biology, the San Francisco State University Center for Computing for Life Sciences, and the Natural History Museum of LA County.
So far, there are no confirmed cases of Zombees outside North America, so if you live in other countries, it is unlikely your bees are hosting one of these parasites.
However, if you see this zombie-like behavior in your bees and suspect of Zombie Fly parasite, notify your local authorities immediately as it could represent a biosecurity threat.
Exotic Plant Pest Hotline: 1800 084 881 (plant pests and diseases, weeds and bees).
United Kingdom
Visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bee-health. Government information on other bee-related pests and diseases and contact information to report them.
2. Lights Are Distracting Them Before They Reach Deep Sleep
Bees are less responsive to stimuli during their deep sleep phase – but if you turn on artificial lights at night before bees reach their deep sleep phase, it could cause them to fly towards it.
Your bees could also be bearding outside the hive at night. This would leave them susceptible to being drawn towards nearby lights.
What To Do If Your Bees Are Attracted To Light At Night
To avoid disrupting your bees’ sleep or distracting them at night, make sure your lights, especially those close to your beehives, are turned on a few hours after the sun has set.
This gives them time to reach deep sleep or regulate the temperature inside the hive.
You can also try using red lights as they can’t see this color (as reported by Karl von Frisch in his book Bees: Their Vision, Chemical Senses, and Language).
Heliotropism
The growing tip of some plants tracks the movement of the sun during the day, a form of phototropism called heliotropism. At dawn, the shoot apex of the sunflower, Helianthus annuus, faces east. As the day progresses, the elongating shoot turns westward until at sunset it faces due west.
Once again, the differential accumulation of auxin in the elongating stem is responsible. In the morning, auxin levels are highest on the shady (west) side of the shoot thus bending the elongating shoot to the sunny (east) side. By sunset, auxin has redistributed to the east side of the shoot bending the shoot to the west. During the night, auxin gradually redistributes back to the west side while the shoot gradually reorients toward the coming sunrise.
Heliotropism maximizes the exposure of the growing tip to the light needed for photosynthesis. In the case of the sunflower, it also improves the efficiency of pollination.
Shoot phototropism in higher plants: new light through old concepts
Light is a key environmental factor that drives many aspects of plant growth and development. Phototropism, the reorientation of growth toward or away from light, represents one of these important adaptive processes. Modern studies of phototropism began with experiments conducted by Charles Darwin demonstrating that light perception at the shoot apex of grass coleoptiles induces differential elongation in the lower epidermal cells. This led to the discovery of the plant growth hormone auxin and the Cholodny-Went hypothesis attributing differential tropic bending to lateral auxin relocalization. In the past two decades, molecular-genetic analyses in the model flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana has identified the principal photoreceptors for phototropism and their mechanism of activation. In addition, several protein families of auxin transporters have been identified. Despite extensive efforts, however, it still remains unclear as to how photoreceptor activation regulates lateral auxin transport to establish phototropic growth. This review aims to summarize major developments from over the last century and how these advances shape our current understanding of higher plant phototropism. Recent progress in phototropism research and the way in which this research is shedding new light on old concepts, including the Cholodny-Went hypothesis, is also highlighted.
How sweet it is: United Methodists and bees
&ldquoI never feel more connected to the earth and to God than when I&rsquom surrounded by a million venomous insects,&rdquo says United Methodist Jay Williams about his beekeeping avocation.
While Williams&rsquo statement may surprise some people, he and other United Methodist apiarists say delving into the complex world of bees has deepened their faith.
&ldquoWhen you&rsquore working with these little insects and they are doing all these things, you see all this wonderment,&rdquo shares Williams, Christ United Methodist Church member and founder of Williams Honey Farm. &ldquoIt&rsquos like a tap on the shoulder that says, &lsquoHey, there&rsquos more than you think. Celebrate it and tell as many people about it as you can.&rsquo&rdquo
Tiny but mighty
The average honey bee weighs 3 grams it takes approximately 3500 bees to weigh one pound. Recognizing the significant impact of something so small has influenced Tate Abbott&rsquos faith.
&ldquoEven the simplest things, like when bees go out to pollinate flowers and doing chores, it&rsquos little but that stuff matters,&rdquo says the 18-year-old college student. &ldquoEven if I&rsquom doing simple acts of faith for God, it may be little but it can make a huge difference.&rdquo
&ldquoEvery small creature is important &hellip,&rdquo she explains. &ldquoSmall things, such as bees, make a huge difference.&rdquo
Abbott, who is a wildlife biology major at Lees-McRae College, knew at a young age that she wanted to be a beekeeper.
She first asked for bees when she was 7, says her father, John Abbott, a request that Tate&rsquos parents delayed fulfilling until their daughter&rsquos tenth birthday. The Abbotts, members at Covenant United Methodist Church, now keep a few hives alongside their fruit trees and vegetable garden.
&ldquoI find that it&rsquos so intriguing,&rdquo John Abbott says. &ldquoWhen you open up a hive, you have all of these bees. You start off with frames that have a thin film of wax and they extract that wax to turn into honeycomb. The matrix that you have on that honeycomb is perfect. How is it that this insect produces something that perfect? There&rsquos something going on there beyond the normal comprehension,&rdquo he muses.
Beehive State bees
Kristen Bell grew up around bees. (Her 91-year-old father still keeps bees in Shelburne, Vermont.) When Bell and her husband, Steve, retired to Utah, the United Methodist couple decided being in the Beehive State was a good reason to get into the bee business, a pastime the Bells shared with their church.
Ten years later, Ogden First United Methodist Church boasts a bountiful community garden that flourishes through greater pollination by the church&rsquos hives, an effort aided through training by the denomination&rsquos EarthKeepers. The Ogden church&rsquos outreach, which operates with a handful of dedicated volunteers, also partners with nearby schools to introduce beekeeping to students and organizes an annual honey sale that yields funds to support local and global missions.
&ldquoThe bees are always teaching us something,&rdquo Kristen Bell says. &ldquoThey are a community too. One honey bee cannot live by itself. I think it&rsquos a great example of humankind. Every creature in the beehive is working for the success of that colony. I think God is telling us that we are to be doing the same thing.&rdquo
Because of bees, Bell says she&rsquos learned more about creation care. She also has learned a drop of wisdom.
&ldquo&rsquoKind words are like honey &ndash sweet to the soul and healthy for the body,&rsquo&rdquo Bell quotes from Proverbs 16:24. &ldquoI love how this is reflexive. My kind words can build others up and, at the same time, keeps me in a positive mental state, which is so healthy for my body. And, of course, the prize of beekeeping, the wonderful honey crop, is what keeps us going!&rdquo
Hope in honey
One of the missions supported by Ogden First United Methodist Church&rsquos honey sales is the work of Mozart Adevu, a United Methodist missionary based in Accra, Ghana. Adevu is Africa&rsquos regional coordinator for UMCOR&rsquos Sustainable Agriculture and Development Program. For the past two decades, Adevu has introduced beekeeping to West African communities.
&ldquoBeekeeping has become a single highest source of income for most farmers and some have indicated that their annual incomes have increased more than ten-fold compared to the period prior to their involvement in beekeeping,&rdquo Adevu states.
&ldquoBees have helped in tremendous ways to feed the poor and hungry in communities which I have served. The gospel message has been served well through providing food to the hungry and destitute through self-help,&rdquo he says, reinforcing the adage of teaching communities &ldquohow to fish rather than providing them with fish.&rdquo
Mozart Adevu (right), a missionary with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, is presented with honey by beekeepers at the Ganta mission station in Liberia in this July 2008 file photo. Photo by June Kim.
Divine stewardship
Beekeeping is not only a way to care for others, but also a way to care for God&rsquos creation.
&ldquoBeekeeping is a kind of divine stewardship of keeping the earth and God&rsquos creatures,&rdquo shares Mark Price, Christ United Methodist Church&rsquos pastor of congregational life. &ldquoWe are in care of, not in charge of. You&rsquore keeping bees safe and healthy so they can tend to themselves.&rdquo
&ldquoThe health of the bees directly affects our food supply,&rdquo explains Bell, adding that one-third of the food we eat requires pollination.
&ldquoTheir pollination is the benefit to nature,&rdquo Price explains. &ldquoHoney is our gift for helping them do the best they can at the place where they are.&rdquo
While United Methodist apiarists are abuzz about the virtues of bees, they know bees make others fearful. Therein lies a deeper significance, Williams shares.
&ldquoThe lesson here is that what may seem scary from the outside &ndash venomous, stinging insects &ndash is quite beautiful and calm and therapeutic and serene. This will ground you and make you slow down and listen more than run from it,&rdquo Williams explains. &ldquoThis is my version of faith.&rdquo
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Bees Provide Sources of Food
A few examples of the foods that would no longer be available to us if bees ceased pollinating our agricultural goods are: broccoli, asparagus, cantaloupes, cucumbers, pumpkins, blueberries, watermelons, almonds, apples, cranberries, and cherries.
Honey is a food product created by bees and is not to be forgotten. Made by bees regurgitating nectar and passing it back and forth in their mouths to one another before depositing and sealing it in a honeycomb, its intended use is for the bees’ winter food stores. Humans are quite fond of this amber liquid as well – the 2013 honey crop was valued at $317.1 million.
Slicing up a knotty problem
That can take the form of "proof assistance," as it did for Scholze, or it can go deeper. In 2018, Lisa Piccirillo, then a PhD student at the University of Texas, solved a long-standing geometry problem about a shape called the Conway knot. She proved the knot was "non-slice" — this is a fact about what the knot looks like from the perspective of four-dimensional beings. (Did you get that? Probably not, but it doesn't matter.) The point is this was a famously difficult problem.
A few years before Piccirillo's breakthrough, a topologist named Mark Hughes at Brigham Young had tried to get a neural network to make good guesses about which knots were slice. He gave it a long list of knots where the answer was known, just as an image-processing neural net would be given a long list of pictures of cats and pictures of non-cats.
Hughes's neural net learned to assign a number to every knot if the knot were slice, the number was supposed to be 0, while if the knot were non-slice, the net was supposed to return a whole number bigger than 0. In fact, the neural net predicted a value very close to 1 — that is, it predicted the knot was non-slice — for every one of the knots Hughes tested, except for one. That was the Conway knot.
For the Conway knot, Hughes's neural net returned a number very close to 1/2, its way of saying that it was deeply unsure whether to answer 0 or 1. This is fascinating! The neural net correctly identified the knot that posed a really hard and mathematically rich problem (in this case, reproducing an intuition that topologists already had).
Some people imagine a world where computers give us all the answers. I dream bigger. I want them to ask good questions.
Dr. Jordan Ellenberg is a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin and a number theorist whose popular articles about mathematics have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, and Slate. His most recent book is Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else.