Worsening allergies aren’t your imagination − windy days create the perfect pollen storm

From sending more pollen airborne to breaking up pollen grains, which lets them penetrate deeper into your lungs, the wind is not the allergy sufferer’s friend.

Christine Cairns Fortuin, Assistant Professor of Forestry, Mississippi State University • conversation
May 5, 2025 ~6 min

Bees, fish and plants show how climate change’s accelerating pace is disrupting nature in 2 key ways

Fast-rising temperatures can change how plants and animals behave and disrupt the delicate timing of pollination.

Courtney McGinnis, Professor of Biology, Medical Sciences and Environmental Sciences, Quinnipiac University • conversation
April 30, 2025 ~7 min


How many types of insects are there in the world?

The number of insect species is mind-boggling – and they are a critical part of the environment.

Nicholas Green, Assistant Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University • conversation
March 24, 2025 ~8 min

Planning for spring’s garden? Bees like variety and don’t care about your neighbors’ yards

A biologist explains what to focus on if you’re designing a garden with pollinators in mind − and what you don’t need to worry about.

Laura Russo, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Jan. 7, 2025 ~7 min

Making farming better for bees: can we breed crops that produce more nectar and pollen?

Our research shows this idea is likely to benefit bees more in summer than in spring.

Ciaran Harris, PhD Candidate in Pollinator Ecology, University of Sussex • conversation
Nov. 6, 2024 ~7 min

Bees have irrational biases when choosing which flowers to feed on − just like human shoppers do

Context, perceptions and expectations affect the choices both bees and people make.

Claire Therese Hemingway, Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Sept. 26, 2024 ~6 min

Fewer bees and other pollinating insects lead to shrinking crops

Perhaps 90% of flowering plants require animal pollinators – and most of them are insects. But it’s not just bees doing this important work.

Rachel Mallinger, Professor of Entomology, University of Florida • conversation
July 19, 2024 ~8 min

Honey bees vote to decide on nest sites – why we should listen

New study shows man made hives leak substantially more heat than the tree cavities of wild honey bees.

Derek Mitchell, Researcher in Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds • conversation
July 1, 2024 ~6 min


As No Mow May ends, here’s why we should keep patches of lawn permanently wild

A little corner of the garden set aside for wildlife can make a huge difference, if we all do it.

Philip Donkersley, Senior Research Associate in Entomology, Lancaster University • conversation
May 30, 2024 ~7 min

It’s OK to mow in May − the best way to help pollinators is by adding native plants

NoMowMay is a catchy concept, but it doesn’t provide the food that native North American pollinators need or lasting support for them.

Harland Patch, Assistant Research Professor of Entomology, Penn State • conversation
May 15, 2024 ~8 min

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