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Georgina Rannard, a climate and science correspondent, reported that scientists have created a new “superfood” for honeybees that could help protect them against the threats of climate change and habitat loss. During trials, bee colonies that consumed the supplement saw a significant increase in the number of baby bees that reached adulthood, with some colonies having up to 15 times more developing bees.
Honeybees play a crucial role in food production by pollinating 70% of the world’s leading crops. However, these vital insects are facing serious challenges, including nutrient deficiencies, viral diseases, and the effects of climate change. In the United States, colony losses have ranged from 40-50% over the past decade and are projected to rise in the future. UK beekeepers have also struggled, with some reporting losses of up to 75% of their colonies in a single winter.
The new honeybee superfood developed by Professor Geraldine Wright and her team at the University of Oxford provides bees with all the essential nutrients they need to survive. Traditional supplementary bee food made of protein flour, sugar, and water has been lacking in the necessary nutrients, similar to humans consuming a diet devoid of essential elements like carbohydrates and amino acids. By using gene editing, the researchers were able to engineer a yeast that produces the crucial sterols bees require for their development.
The “superfood” was tested on honeybee colonies in the lab for three months, and the results showed a significant improvement in bee health. Colonies that received the new food had a much higher survival rate for baby bees, suggesting that a complete and balanced diet can make bees healthier and more resilient to diseases. The researchers are now calling for larger-scale trials to further evaluate the supplement’s long-term effects on honeybee populations. The study was a collaboration between the University of Oxford, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark, and the results were published in the journal Nature
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