Bumble bees (Bombus) are unusually important pollinators, with approximately 260 wild
species native to all biogeographic regions except sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, and New …

Bees—including solitary, social, wild, and managed species—are key pollinators of
flowering plant species, including nearly three-quarters of global food crops. Their …

Social insect colonies have evolved many collectively performed adaptations that reduce the
impact of infectious disease and that are expected to maximize their fitness. This colony …

Background Honey bee colonies managed for agricultural pollination are highly dependent
on human inputs, especially for disease control and supplemental nutrition. Hives are …

Infectious diseases are a primary driver of bee decline worldwide, but limited understanding
of how pathogens are transmitted hampers effective management. Flowers have been …

The plant kingdom produces an extraordinary diversity of secondary metabolites and the
majority of the literature supports a defensive ecological role for them, particularly against …

Recent declines in bumble bee populations are of great concern and have prompted critical
evaluations of the role of pathogen introductions and host resistance in bee health. One …

Bees are highly specialized insects, feeding almost exclusively on nectar and pollen from
flowers, and in so doing contributing substantially to the pollination of wild plants and crops …

Honey bee colony performance and health are intimately linked to the foraging environment.
Recent evidence suggests that the US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has a positive …

Domesticated and native bees face a variety of deadly threats that cause mortality and
reduced fecundity and thus, by extension, endanger agriculture and native plant …