Mystery deaths in bats, similar to colony collapse disorder of bees

Thousands of bats are dying from an unknown illness in the northeastern U.S. at a rate that could cause extinction, New York state wildlife officials said. At eight caves in New York and one in Vermont, scientists have seen bat populations plummet over two years. Most bats hibernate in the same cave every winter, keeping [...]

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Unlike honeybee’s, harvester ants decide in advance what their daughter’s will be.

When it comes to deciding what harvester ant daughters will be when they grow up, mother queens hold considerable sway, according to a new study. The researchers report evidence that eggs are predetermined to become workers or queens from the moment they are lain. “In honeybees, food determines fate,” said Tanja Schwander of Simon Fraser [...]

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