Published 1 year ago

Honey bee life spans are 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago: A drop in longevity for lab-kept honey bees could help explain colony losses and lower honey production in recent decades

Summary by Ground News

The lifespan for individual honey bees kept in a controlled, laboratory environment is 50% shorter than it was in the 1970s. When scientists modeled the effect of today's shorter lifespans, the results corresponded with the reduced honey production trends and increased colony loss seen by U.S. beekeepers in recent decades. This is the first study to show an overall decline in honey bee lifespan potentially independent of environmental stressors.

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The Independent

Honey bee life spans are 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago

Researchers also saw less honey being produced and greater colony losses among the honey bees, Mustafa Qadri writes

1 year ago·London, United Kingdom

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Eurek Alert

Honey bee life spans are 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago

A new study by University of Maryland entomologists shows that the lifespan for individual honey bees kept in a controlled, laboratory environment is 50% shorter than it was in the 1970s. As the first study to show an overall decline in honey bee lifespan potentially independent of environmental stressors, this work hints that genetics may be influencing the broader trends of higher colony turnover rates seen in the beekeeping industry.

1 year ago·Washington, United States

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Phys.org

Honey bee life spans are 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago

A new study by University of Maryland entomologists shows that the lifespan for individual honey bees kept in a controlled, laboratory environment is 50% shorter than it was in the 1970s. When scientists modeled the effect of today's shorter lifespans, the results corresponded with the increased colony loss and reduced honey production trends seen by U.S. beekeepers in recent decades.

1 year ago·United Kingdom

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Science Daily

Honey bee life spans are 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago: A drop in longevity for lab-kept honey bees could help explain colony losses and lower honey production in recent decades

A new study by entomologists shows that the lifespan for individual honey bees kept in a controlled, laboratory environment is 50% shorter than it was in the 1970s. As the first study to show an overall decline in honey bee lifespan potentially independent of environmental stressors, this work hints that genetics may be influencing the broader trends of higher colony turnover rates seen in the beekeeping industry.

1 year ago·United States

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Sci Tech Daily

Genetic Factor? Honey Bee Life Spans 50% Shorter Now Compared to 50 Years Ago

Colony losses and lower honey production in recent decades could be explained by a drop in longevity for lab-kept honey bees. The lifespan for individual honey bees kept in a controlled, laboratory environment is 50% shorter than it was in the 1970s according to a new study by University of Maryl

1 year ago

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NewScientist

Honeybees are living half as long as they were 50 years ago

The lifespan of bees raised in US laboratories is half what it was in the 1970s, suggesting there may be a genetic reason behind increasing rates of colony collapse

1 year ago·Baltimore, United States

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