Beesarein a similarrelationshipwithplantswherethey'rehelpingtheplantandgettingsomethinginreturn, beescollectpollentofeedtotheiryoungwingsandthelarvaeatthepollenanddevelopintoadults.
Okay, thevastmajorityofthesearesolitarygroundnestingbeesandbysolitary, I mean a singlefemaleconstructsherownbroodcellprovisionsitwithpollenandnectardefendsitagainstparasitesandpredatorsandlaysherownegg.
I guessit's almostlikehavingyourspicejarorganizedalphabetically.
Itwasjustmagnificentlikethat.
After a fewyearsoftrialanderror, wefiguredoutthatwecouldactuallyrarethesebeesinsideourlabinsidethesebelltraysandhavebettersurvivorshipthanrecordedinthewild.
Finally, theresearchershad a solitarybeetheycouldobservefromeggtoadultasitgrewin a clearplasticbroodcell.
Andifyouremovethosemediamicrobesandforcethelarvaetobecomeherbivores, theysuffer, itmightsobethattheyconsumethepollenbecausethey'retryingtoconsumethemicrobesandthepollenisjustinthewayit's I think a massiveshiftinourunderstandingbeyondtheirroleas a foodsource.
Theresearchersaretestingtheseideasandmorewhatevertheyfind, it's clearthattheancientalliancebetweenbeesandplantsdependson a thirdpartnerthat's beenhiddenuntilnow.
Weknowfromourresearchthatthereis a broaddiversityoffungiwithinPolandprovisionsandweknowthatwhenthey'renottheretobesuffer, whichbringsthescientistsbacktothelinkbetweenfungicidesand B hillIntheusalone, weusemorethan £50 millionpoundsoffungicideeachyearconnectingthedotsfromthosesupposedlybesafefungicidestodecliningbeepopulations.
Thedatashowthatthestandardpracticeoftestingfungicidesonlyonadultbeeshas a criticalblindspotandwemightneverhaveknownitwithoutresearchersexploringthehiddenworldofthebroodcell.