Photo
Small hive beetles (Aethina tumida) sometimes invade nests to feed on pollen and honey stores, and to lay eggs. So African honeybee subspecies herd the tiny insects into inaccessible cracks and corners of the nest where they can cause no harm. The beetles then dupe the bees that keep them prisoner into providing them with the best food in the hive.
Story
A breakthrough study from the University of Pretoria has found that small hive beetles trapped inside a honeybee nest sneakily entice the very bees that keep them prisoner into providing them with the best of what there is to feed on in the hive – even some of the queen’s portion.
Story
Innovation is the next step forward. The innovations highlighted in this edition show us that the knowledge we create today is a step forward to future.
Gallery
This gallery takes you on a field trip with scientists as they monitor bat health and species diversity. You can see what bats really look like up close and in full flight.
Story
University of Pretoria researchers Dr Mariëtte Pretorius and Professor Wanda Markotter have published a study which shows that land around important bat-inhabited caves are changing and that natural habitats are being destroyed.
Video
Researchers at the University of Pretoria are determining the threat posed to the ecosystem and that of human health as people expand their settlements closer to the natural habitats of bats. It is vital that bats are well protected. Ultimately, if bat populations decrease, humans will be affected.
Infographic
Bats are large pollinators, have an impact on our fruit supply and keep pest insect levels down. Learn some interesting facts about bats here.
Talking Point
Food security is a global priority – and it is becoming more urgent in the face of climate change, which is already affecting crop productivity. One way to improve food security is to increase crop yields.
Talking Point
In his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, British naturalist Charles Darwin put forward his theory of natural selection. This, he argued, was the mechanism of biological evolution: like an animal or plant breeder selects for certain characteristics, individuals with better survival ability leave more offspring.
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