The end of fieldwork…but not the end of the experiment

November 2024

Autumn is approaching, which means that fieldwork is coming to an end! With the weather getting colder and wetter, it was time to transfer the cocoons to the lab, where they will be protected from weather hazards such as heavy rain. We chose a particularly rainy and gloomy day to pack up all the equipment […]

James Gilbert

July 2024: taking data

July 2024

We finally released the bees in early July! They emerged immediately from their cocoons but we quickly realised they looked rather unhappy in the cages…

James Gilbert

June 2024: Setting up the field site 

June 2024

We have been very busy at our field site at Stockbridge Technology Centre near Selby, a  centre for agricultural and horticultural innovation and testing.   Having installed the fruit cages last month, this month we put up 9 mesh cages, each of which will house a bee nesting block that will be kept at one of 3 […]

James

Fieldwork update, May 2024

May 2024

Gearing Up for Bee Season: Excitement in the Field!  As spring progresses, so does our fieldwork season, and we were all excited to be outdoors, ready to set up for our flight cage experiment. This year, the focus is on understanding how nesting temperatures affect the foraging behaviour and offspring outcomes of Osmia bicornis, a […]

James