Post by gakaren on Feb 18, 2015 10:18:35 GMT -5
Floral nectar contains a bouquet of natural chemicals that may help fight parasite infection in bumble bees, a study said Wednesday.
The findings throw up clues for helping honey bee colonies battling mysterious but catastrophic decline.
Biologists in New England tested eight nectar compounds on North American bumble bees -- Latin name Bombus impatiens -- that had been infected in the lab with an intestinal parasite called Crithidia bombi.
Four of the eight were effective against Crithidia, which is spread by bee faeces and lowers winter survival rates and reproductive success.
The most impressive impact came from an alkaloid called anabasine, found in a species of wild tobacco called Nicotiana glauca, which reduced the parasites by 81 percent.
The findings throw up clues for helping honey bee colonies battling mysterious but catastrophic decline.
Biologists in New England tested eight nectar compounds on North American bumble bees -- Latin name Bombus impatiens -- that had been infected in the lab with an intestinal parasite called Crithidia bombi.
Four of the eight were effective against Crithidia, which is spread by bee faeces and lowers winter survival rates and reproductive success.
The most impressive impact came from an alkaloid called anabasine, found in a species of wild tobacco called Nicotiana glauca, which reduced the parasites by 81 percent.
news.yahoo.com/natures-medicine-cabinet-fights-bee-disease-000719540.html
This sounds like good news and maybe some things we should all plant!
