Thursday, 5 January 2012

Bees being turned into Zombies by Parasite


This story is very Doctor Who, with missing Bees, Zombies, a parasite and is reminiscent of the Alien movie to boot!

Honey bees are abandoning their hives and being turned into “zombies” by a deadly fly parasite in their stomachs which makes the bees flee their hives and walk round and round in circles before dying. It also makes them seek out bright lights.

The parasite lays its’ eggs inside the abdomen of the honey bee. About a week after the bee dies, the pupae emerge from the throats and heads of the dead bees.

Scientists discovered the parasite by accident but they believe it may help them discover what is causing colony collapse disorder which is devastating honey bees in Europe and America cutting some populations in half.

source

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