Scientists Say Air Pollution Threatens Honeybees
11/01/2013
The honeybee was taught to recognize the scent of the rapeseed or canola flower (photo: Tracey Newman).
From VOA Learning English this is As It Is.
Welcome back. I’m Caty Weaver. Today, we go to a school near Washington where meals are being served up fresh and healthy.
But first, we talk about the health of a very good friend to farmers: the honeybee. Pollution from diesel-powered vehicles could be harming the insect’s sense of smell.
Bees are important to human beings. The insects pollinate about 70 percent of the world’s food crops. But honeybees are in real trouble. Each year, about one-third of bee hive populations are destroyed by a mysterious disease called colony collapse disorder.
Scientists have found several reasons for the falling number of honeybees -- from poor hive care to parasitic organisms. But a new study suggests that air pollution also might be a cause. Avi Arditti reports.
Air Pollution: Honeybee Hazard
Imagine a honeybee’s world: the insect depends on its eyesight and sharp sense of smell to pollinate plants.
“Now, it’s faced with a sea of chemistry every time it goes out on a foraging expedition. So what it has to do is decipher and discern between those different chemicals to home in on the plants that it knows are going to give it the best reward in terms of nectar and pollen.”
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25