Our climate is changing and we are seeing more intensive periods of unsettled weather. Our bees cannot forage in high winds or when it is raining, so how do they cope when they cannot forage? Scientists at Newcastle University have built a machine to simulate rainfall on colonies, whilst their neighboring colonies are left to fly freely in the Newcastle sunshine! BeeGuards will assess the physiological and immune responses of the bees, and assess how they respond to pathogen challenge. The results will help us understand how bees are coping with climate change, and allow us to design interventions that improve the resilience of our honey bees.
