Scientists have developed a breakthrough food supplement that could help save honeybees from devastating declines. By engineering yeast to produce six essential sterols found in pollen, researchers provided bees with a nutritionally complete diet that boosted reproduction up to 15-fold. Unlike commercial substitutes that lack key nutrients, this supplement mimics natural pollen’s sterol profile, giving bees the equivalent of a balanced diet.
I thought that honeybees were the last bees that we should be saving since they harm native bee populations, which are move vulnerable.
The European honeybee in the Americas is kinda a double edged sword. It’s an invasive species, which both steals resources from and spreads diseases to native bees. However, for better or worse at this point a good portion of agriculture is dependent upon the European honey bee.
… And they produce honey, which I like.
Capitalism. I should have known. Thanks for the context!
It’s a little more complicated than that, honey bees are great generalists and there have been a lot of winners among North American plants. But yeah, “capitalism” isn’t far off the mark.
…how do you arrive at Capitalism from “a good portion of our agriculture”?
Simple. A good portion of our agriculture is based on capitalism. Prior to the industrial revolution (capitalism) there weren’t nation sized monoculture farms full of identical genetic freakshow plants.
Because agriculture itself isn’t a problem. Rampant (and unnecessary) exploitation, to satiate artificial scarcity is.
Because as we all know, socialists don’t need food.
Here’s an idea…feed native bees this stuff as needed?
It’s probably useful for other types of bees too.
I know it’s hard for some people to get their heads around, but there are literally dozens of places that aren’t in America.