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"Reassessing Pet Adoption: Unveiling Misconceptions About Stray Animals" In today’s shifting landscape of animal welfare, a recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reveals an unexpected trend: a mere 5.1% of citizens plan to welcome a pet into their homes within the next year. This statistic, which stands in stark contrast to the overall estimated pet ownership rate of approximately 28.6%, prompts an urgent need for clear, evidence-based discussion—especially for those who champion environmental stewardship and responsible living. A Closer Look at Adoption Intentions The survey, which included responses from 5,000 participants aged 20 to 64, demonstrates a significant divide in pet adoption outlooks. Pet owners are nearly three times more likely (9.6%) to consider adopting an additional animal compared to those who have not yet had the experience (3.4%). For environmental activists and citizens passionate about sustainable practices, the...

 Editorial: Applied Bee Science and Technology Transfer Honey bees (Apis mellifera L) are essential contributors to food production as main pollinators in 18 agricultural ecosystems. However, beekeeping faces many challenges related to a variety of stressors 19 that affect the survivorship of honey bee colonies and compromise their productivity. For example, 20 the parasitism caused by Varroa destructor is linked to colony losses and low honey production. The 21 adaptability that varroa mites have demonstrated to different environments out of their original range 22and their capacity to cause disease and vector virulent viruses is of extreme concern. Efforts to 23 understand the biology of the parasite, its relationship to viruses, and the discovery of novel methods 24 to control its population growth have been instrumental in supporting the beekeeping industry. and hygienic behaviours and found dysregulation of some genes in bee's heads and bodies, 60advancing the understanding of...

Beehive sensors offer hope in saving honeybee colonies A UC Riverside computer science team has developed a sensor-based technology that could revolutionize commercial beekeeping by reducing colony losses and lowering labor costs. Called the Electronic Bee-Veterinarian, or EBV, the technology uses low-cost heat sensors and forecasting models to predict when hive temperatures may reach dangerous levels. The system provides remote beekeepers with early warnings, allowing them to take preventive action before their colonies collapse during extreme hot or cold weather or when the bees cannot regulate their hive temperature because of disease, pesticide exposure, food shortages, or other stressors. “We convert the temperature to a factor that we are calling the health factor, which gives an estimate of how strong the bees are on a scale from zero to one,” said Shamima Hossain , a Ph.D. student in computer science at UCR and lead author of a paper explaining the technology . Shamima Hossai...

Hive mind: collecting intel to help Australia’s honeybees The honeybee industry is one of the most important in Australia’s agricultural sector.   Not only does it produce honey, it also provides vital pollination services to more than 35 other agricultural industries. Without honeybees, we would not be able to grow almonds or apples. There are also less obvious crops, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and onions, which are totally reliant on bees for seed production. All told, the honeybee industry contributes A$14 billion to the economy every year. But these important insects are under constant threat.  It ain’t easy keeping bees For beekeepers, success year-to-year is largely dependent on factors beyond their control. Changes in climate can lead to shifts in the flowering patterns of flora that enable bees to produce honey. Natural disasters such as bushfires can destroy thousands of colonies as well as vast swathes of native forest – which bees rely upon for foragi...

 Honey bee colony losses reach ‘crisis’ levels this year  Commercial beekeepers suffered colony losses of 62% between June and February, according to a nationwide survey. “This is unprecedented and a crisis,” said Matt Mulica, facilitator of the Honey Bee Health Coalition. In a typical year, beekeepers might see losses of 15-30%, he said. The die-offs surpass historical trends and represent an estimated economic loss of $635 million to beekeepers through the almond bloom. Food production The hive losses also will impact the pollination of fruits and vegetables. “There’s going to be a huge effect on all the specialty crops that come next. Your blueberries, your apples later on. … There’s going to be a trickle down effect,” Mulica said. Zac Browning, a fourth-generation commercial beekeeper in North Dakota and board chairman of Project Apis m., a nonprofit supporting the beekeeping community, said the scale of the losses was unsustainable. “If we continue to see losses at this r...

  Beekeepers seek young blood for club 4-H Club members learn about beekeeping from members of the Wilson County Beekeepers Association on Monday. The club is starting a youth beekeepers club. Drew C. Wilson | Times Young people tried on beekeeping suits, looked inside bee hives and saw how honey is extracted from honeycombs in a presentation Monday night to encourage an interest in keeping honeybees. “We want to start a junior beekeeping association within the Wilson County Beekeepers Association,” said Bruce Petway, the founding president of the Wilson County Beekeepers Association. “We need to get this started because a lot of beekeepers are aging out, and we need the young people who are coming up to take over for us.” Wilson County is a leading agricultural county raising many products. Most of them are dependent on pollinators to make the best strawberries, watermelons, squash and more. “Beekeeping is very important to a lot of things around here,” Petway said. Assembled for ...

  West Virginia beekeepers look for help to keep industry abuzz West Virginia is home to roughly 16,000 honeybee colonies, which produce at least 250,000 pounds of honey per year, according to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA). Across the United States, agriculturists estimate that honeybee-pollinated crops make up one-third of the food we eat. But beekeepers in the Mountain State say overly restrictive local ordinances can make it hard to maintain colonies. Concerns like these have spilled over into the courtroom; and, this week, shown up at the State Capitol. In 2023, South Charleston resident Alex Urban sought a permit to keep bees on his property, but was rejected by the city. South Charleston went on to ban keeping domesticated animals like bees within its limits, so Urban filed a lawsuit in the Kanawha County Circuit Court in August 2023. On Urban’s behalf, the WVDA argued in court that the city “exceeded its legal authority” by enforcing beekeeping regulatio...

  University of Nevada, Reno Extension offers Bee & Garden Conference University of Nevada, Reno Extension  is partnering with other organizations to host the  Bee & Garden Conference  March 20-22 in Minden at the Carson Valley Inn, 1627 U.S. Highway 395 North. The conference will focus on native bees and other pollinators and the benefits of protecting pollinators for the beekeeper, homeowner and small-acreage producer. Presentations will provide information on beekeeping, planting for pollinators, mitigating risk and insurance risk management products, designing landscapes for homeowners and small acreages, and specialty crop production. There will be trainings, presentations and workshops on value-added opportunities in apiculture, horticulture and home gardening, as well as on how to get products to market. Hands-on opportunities and round table discussions with colleagues and peers will also be available. The full  agenda is available online . Regis...

Lincoln’s bee auction bids for place in Guinness book of world records Lincolnshire beekeepers hope to get into the Guinness Book of World Records as holders of the world’s largest livestock auction after this year’s annual Lincoln District Bee Auction. The event happens at the Lincolnshire Showground on April 12th, and is the largest event in of its kind in the country. It’s been happening for more than 30 years, and says Matthew Palmer, Lincolnshire Secretary of the British Beekeepers Association. The auction features not only beekeeping equipment, but also a number of colonies of live bees, meaning individual animals will number well into the thousands. Lots for sale are being accepted between 1.30pm and 4.30pm on the day before, and between 8.30 and 10am on the day of the auction. Mr Palmer said: “The Auction will begin promptly at 10:30am, promising an exciting day of spirited bidding and camaraderie among fellow beekeeping enthusiasts. “This auction has set the standard for smal...

King Charles Recruits David Beckham (and His Bees!) to Help Find Influencers for His Charity Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/GettyKing Charles and David Beckham attend the King's Foundation charity awards in London on June 11, 2024 King Charles is on the hunt for influencers. The King’s charities are looking for what they call changemakers under 35 who can spread the word about traditional arts and crafts, textiles, architecture and urbanism, health and well-being, horticulture and farming. They are broadly what’s represented by the King’s Foundation, which is marking its 35th anniversary this year. And the King has David Beckham , alongside the former soccer star’s bees, adding his name to the search. The athlete appears in a 35-second video to promote the drive as he underscores the commitment to the natural world, sustainable farming and horticulture. Beckham joined as an ambassador last year, followed by actress Sienna Miller , pop superstar Rod Stewart and his wife, Penny La...

  David Beckham backs search for young influencers to support King’s Foundation David Beckham has channelled his love of bees to help search for social media-savvy young people who share the King’s passion for nature, architecture or traditional skills. The former England football captain appears in a new video for the King’s Foundation marking its 35th anniversary by launching the hunt for “35 under 35”, a network of influencers who can fly the flag for the charity which reflects Charles’ vision. In the short social media film, a succession of foundation students and supporters, including ambassador Alan Titchmarsh, list the interests the 35 hopefuls must share with the King, from fashion and textiles, health and wellbeing to organic farming, with the TV gardener adding “horticulture”. Beckham, also a foundation ambassador, is filmed crouched beside a beehive wearing a cloth cap, tweed jacket and wellies and says “or even beekeeping”. Since reportedly buying a converted barn in th...