Viral infections in honey bees are becoming more intense and widespread. CVIA researchers Abigail Chapman and Dr. Alison McAfee found that virus-infected queen bees in the field have shriveled ovaries compared with healthy ones. The researchers then infected queen bees in the lab with a different virus, and noticed the same result.
A queen’s shrunken ovaries could mean fewer eggs, and so, fewer baby bees – something the researchers will investigate in future work. A smaller population would make a colony weak, affecting how much money beekeepers can make from it. Honey bees contribute an estimated $4 to $5.5 billion annually to the Canadian economy.
The researchers are in the very early stages of working on a “queen vaccine” to protect the bees. In the meantime, beekeepers are practicing COVID-style measures to prevent virus spread,
including quarantining sick colonies and sterilizing equipment. Local governments could help by subsidizing PCR tests to help beekeepers identify which colonies are sick, says Chapman.
]]>Now is a great season for getting cozy in cable knits and corduroy, and drinking lots of delicious hot beverages.
However, this time of year is also when assignments and classwork can begin to pile up, and the cooler weather and shorter days can feel extra draining.
The consistent cloudiness and rain of Vancouver can get me feeling pretty gloomy. The rain-driven moodiness, coupled with fewer opportunities to get out and do the things you love, can make it difficult to stay motivated and feel physically and mentally healthy.
In times like these, what helps me the most is often getting back to the basics—things I’ve consistently done that lift my mood and allow me to stay healthy.
It can feel challenging to focus on ourselves when there’s so much going on in the world, but if we’re not taking good care of ourselves, we’re less capable of supporting others.
]]>Structural engineer Dr. Lisa Tobber, an assistant professor in the School of Engineering within UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science, wants us to consider what this scenario means for British Columbia — a seismically active region that is waiting for the “Big One” to strike, and where buildings are designed to preserve life rather than remain safe to reside after an earthquake.
“As we saw in Christchurch, a lack of resiliency has major ramifications. Buildings that aren’t required to be structurally sound after an earthquake end up getting demolished,” said Dr. Tobber.
“Here in BC, that could lead to hundreds of thousands of people who are suddenly homeless because their mid- or high-rise building isn’t safe to return to after a disaste.
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