The need for a backup bee has become critical, particularly in almond orchards. Almonds are California’s second-largest crop, injecting an estimated $21 billion annually into the state’s economy. In 2016 California’s almond growers needed nearly 1.9 million honeybee colonies—almost three-quarters of all the commercial colonies in the country—to pollinate their 940,000 acres.

ALMOST 100 bees express-posted to Townsville died after Australia Post failed to follow directions for carrying and delivering agricultural items during this week’s heatwave.

Stationed near the major ports of Australia's coastal cities are a group of closely monitored beehives designed to detect the varroa mite parasite that has the potential to decimate bee populations.

Surrounded by thousands of new cars, a coal loading plant, numerous shipping berths and smoke stacks in Port Kembla is a calm area of green space with one of Australia's most important hives

How many different sorts of bees can you name? Most people trail off at about two—honeybees and bumble bees—though there are nearly 20,000 different species across the world. Just a tiny fraction of them, however, can cope with urban living, even in city gardens that are bursting with bloom. If it’s not the flowers that are holding back urban bee communities, why do so many of them flourish in the countryside and other natural areas?