ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2011) — Many different types of animals come together to form vast groups -- insect swarms, mammal herds, or bird flocks, for example. Researchers in France added another example to the list, reported October 5 in the online journal PLoS ONE: the huge Wels catfish, the world's third largest and Europe's largest fresh-water fish. Researchers observed these fish in the Rhone River from May 2009 to Feb. 2011 and found that they formed dense groups of 15 to 44 individuals, corresponding to an estimated total biomass of up to 1132 kilograms with a biomass density of 14 to 40 kilograms per square meter.
Unlike traditional behavior seen in schools of fish, the catfish in the aggregations did not all point in the same direction and sometimes came into contact with their neighbors. Researchers were not able to determine the reason for this behavior, though they ruled out reproduction, foraging, and safety from predators.
The species originates from Eastern Europe and is not native to the Rhone, so the researchers were curious what effect these large aggregations may have on the local ecosystem. They calculate that the groups of fish could excrete extremely large amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in their waste, creating potentially the highest biogeochemical hotspots reported in freshwater ecosystems.
Read on...
Showing posts with label swarms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swarms. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Jellyfish warning for beach-goers
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water at UK beaches, scientists have warned that our coastal seas could be turned into a "jellyfish soup" this summer. The number of jellyfish inhabiting our waters is on the rise according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), with pollution, over-fishing and climate change among the theories being used to explain the increase.
Jellyfish warning to beach-goers
Jellyfish warning to beach-goers
Friday, October 1, 2010
Texas man stung by 1200 bees
06:00 AEST Thu Sep 16 2010
By ninemsn staff
A Texas man has been lucky to survive a bee attack that saw him stung more than 1200 times.
Lamar LaCaze, 65, was mowing his lawn last month when the unexpected bee attack took place, covering his body with stingers, the San Marcos Daily Record reported yesterday.
Mr LaCaze managed to call his son Trey six times to ask for help but received no answer.
When his son called him back, Mr LaCaze managed to tell him that he was "in bees".
When Mr LaCaze was found by his son, he was slumped over a fence and covered by the swarming bees.
"His head was black, solid bees," he said.
"It looked like a bee hive on his head."
Hospital staff managed to pull more than 1200 stingers from his body, as well as whole bees from his ears, nose, mouth and throat.
He will be released from hospital in the next few days though his body will take longer to process all the bee venom.
See video at: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7962124/texas-man-stung-by-1200-bees
By ninemsn staff
A Texas man has been lucky to survive a bee attack that saw him stung more than 1200 times.
Lamar LaCaze, 65, was mowing his lawn last month when the unexpected bee attack took place, covering his body with stingers, the San Marcos Daily Record reported yesterday.
Mr LaCaze managed to call his son Trey six times to ask for help but received no answer.
When his son called him back, Mr LaCaze managed to tell him that he was "in bees".
When Mr LaCaze was found by his son, he was slumped over a fence and covered by the swarming bees.
"His head was black, solid bees," he said.
"It looked like a bee hive on his head."
Hospital staff managed to pull more than 1200 stingers from his body, as well as whole bees from his ears, nose, mouth and throat.
He will be released from hospital in the next few days though his body will take longer to process all the bee venom.
See video at: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7962124/texas-man-stung-by-1200-bees
Texas man stung by 1200 bees
06:00 AEST Thu Sep 16 2010
By ninemsn staff
A Texas man has been lucky to survive a bee attack that saw him stung more than 1200 times.
Lamar LaCaze, 65, was mowing his lawn last month when the unexpected bee attack took place, covering his body with stingers, the San Marcos Daily Record reported yesterday.
Mr LaCaze managed to call his son Trey six times to ask for help but received no answer.
When his son called him back, Mr LaCaze managed to tell him that he was "in bees".
When Mr LaCaze was found by his son, he was slumped over a fence and covered by the swarming bees.
"His head was black, solid bees," he said.
"It looked like a bee hive on his head."
Hospital staff managed to pull more than 1200 stingers from his body, as well as whole bees from his ears, nose, mouth and throat.
He will be released from hospital in the next few days though his body will take longer to process all the bee venom.
See video at: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7962124/texas-man-stung-by-1200-bees
By ninemsn staff
A Texas man has been lucky to survive a bee attack that saw him stung more than 1200 times.
Lamar LaCaze, 65, was mowing his lawn last month when the unexpected bee attack took place, covering his body with stingers, the San Marcos Daily Record reported yesterday.
Mr LaCaze managed to call his son Trey six times to ask for help but received no answer.
When his son called him back, Mr LaCaze managed to tell him that he was "in bees".
When Mr LaCaze was found by his son, he was slumped over a fence and covered by the swarming bees.
"His head was black, solid bees," he said.
"It looked like a bee hive on his head."
Hospital staff managed to pull more than 1200 stingers from his body, as well as whole bees from his ears, nose, mouth and throat.
He will be released from hospital in the next few days though his body will take longer to process all the bee venom.
See video at: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7962124/texas-man-stung-by-1200-bees
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Policeman trapped - by angry bees
19 August 2010A police officer was trapped in his patrol car for three hours - by 50,000 angry honeybees.
Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Jenkins, 31, had been called out after a lorry broke down near Raleigh, North Carolina.
The lorry was pulling a trailer loaded with 60 boxes of bees and the insects had escaped, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Deputy Jenkins arrived at day break just as the bees were waking up and they swarmed him, forcing him to retreat to his car and radio for back up.
"It was mind boggling how many bees were out there. At some point, it was hard to see out of the windows," he said.
The officer admitted using deadly force on some of the insects who got in.
"It was more or less self-defence. There were a couple of bees in my personal space, my comfort zone, and I just wanted to get them out."
Police called in two beekeepers who used smoke and sugar water spray to calm the insects and then collected them. They said the bees had been attracted by the light colour of the patrol car.
Beekeeper Charles Heatherly said: "The bees were hot and bothered. They got a little testy."
Jennifer Keller, a honeybee technician at North Carolina State University, said: "They were just very confused. They don't have a queen to guard and they were kind of lost."
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Policeman_trapped_by_angry_bees
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Omani villagers counter wasp raids
Waves of red wasps attack people, plantations and beehives
By Staff
Published Friday, August 13, 2010
Massive swarms of wasps have raided an Omani village, prompting residents to mobilise their forces and launch a counter offensive, a local daily said Friday.
Successive waves of red wasps deployed in surrounding trees and mountains launched several attacks on residents, farms, palm trees and honey-producing beehives in Hailin village in Batina province on the Gulf of Oman.
Oman Daily said it sent a team to the village, where many of its residents have been stung by the wasps and parts of farms and bee hives have been damaged.
“Red wasps are very dangerous and are quite big….they usually swarm in this area during this period the year,” it quoted villager Zahir Al Jahouri as saying.
“We had lived in fear for several days before we decided to attack and destroy them…we formed groups to surround the trees and mountains and burn their concentrations…we have also announced cash rewards for children to encourage them to participate in this campaign…thank God the Almighty, we have made big success and destroyed many of their bases.”
http://www.emirates247.com/offbeat/this-is-life/omani-villagers-counter-wasp-raids-2010-08-13-1.278513
By Staff
Published Friday, August 13, 2010
Massive swarms of wasps have raided an Omani village, prompting residents to mobilise their forces and launch a counter offensive, a local daily said Friday.
Successive waves of red wasps deployed in surrounding trees and mountains launched several attacks on residents, farms, palm trees and honey-producing beehives in Hailin village in Batina province on the Gulf of Oman.
Oman Daily said it sent a team to the village, where many of its residents have been stung by the wasps and parts of farms and bee hives have been damaged.
“Red wasps are very dangerous and are quite big….they usually swarm in this area during this period the year,” it quoted villager Zahir Al Jahouri as saying.
“We had lived in fear for several days before we decided to attack and destroy them…we formed groups to surround the trees and mountains and burn their concentrations…we have also announced cash rewards for children to encourage them to participate in this campaign…thank God the Almighty, we have made big success and destroyed many of their bases.”
http://www.emirates247.com/offbeat/this-is-life/omani-villagers-counter-wasp-raids-2010-08-13-1.278513
Monday, August 9, 2010
Flying Ant Swarms
Trent FM noticed huge swarms of flying ants in Nottingham city centre on Monday night and now we know why, it's their mini mating season this week.
We saw people at bus stops trying to swipe the ants away or covering their eyes as they walked through town.
Apparently, they've been all over Notts, you've been telling us on Facebook that they've been crawling over lawns and houses in Arnold, Ilkeston, Mapperly, Bulwell, Newark, Carlton, Bilborough, Nuthall, Kirkby in Ashfield, Eastwood and Rainworth. The big swarms only last a day in one area though because the females pick one day a year to mate, when the temperature's right. Afterwards, the male ants die.
Andrew Chick is an insect expert at Nottingham Trent Uni: "The actual ants only fly once in their life, so they have to learn very quickly, it tends to be a bit of a crash course in flying."
And Andrew can explain why there seemed to be thousands in Nottingham city centre on Monday:
"The common black ant is one ant that is able to colonise under paving slabs and of course, in the city centre, there are quite a few slabs that they can colonise underneath."
http://www.trentfm.co.uk/article.asp?id=1885287
We saw people at bus stops trying to swipe the ants away or covering their eyes as they walked through town.
Apparently, they've been all over Notts, you've been telling us on Facebook that they've been crawling over lawns and houses in Arnold, Ilkeston, Mapperly, Bulwell, Newark, Carlton, Bilborough, Nuthall, Kirkby in Ashfield, Eastwood and Rainworth. The big swarms only last a day in one area though because the females pick one day a year to mate, when the temperature's right. Afterwards, the male ants die.
Andrew Chick is an insect expert at Nottingham Trent Uni: "The actual ants only fly once in their life, so they have to learn very quickly, it tends to be a bit of a crash course in flying."
And Andrew can explain why there seemed to be thousands in Nottingham city centre on Monday:
"The common black ant is one ant that is able to colonise under paving slabs and of course, in the city centre, there are quite a few slabs that they can colonise underneath."
http://www.trentfm.co.uk/article.asp?id=1885287
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Radioactive Boars Rampaging Through Germany
Published August 03, 2010
FoxNews.com
Wikimedia
Recently, Germany has reported a surge in the wild boar population. According to one recent study, German wild boar litters have six to eight piglets on average, other countries usually only about four or five.
It sounds like the plot of a B-movie, yet it’s bizarrely true: Radioactive boars are on the loose and thriving in Germany’s forests.
A succession of mild winters has left Germany scrambling to deal with a skyrocketing wild boar population. Tales of swarming beasts rampaging through city streets and attacking citizens occur with alarming regularity.
The problem has been aggravated by the lingering effects of the Chernobyl disaster from twenty-five years ago; a large portion of the wild animals are contaminated by radioactivity.
Poisonous radiation leaves the beasts completely inedible (wild boar is considered a delicacy in Germany), and the phenomenon is becoming expensive for the German government. In the last hunting season, 650,000 boar were shot versus 287,000 in the previous year. And due to atomic energy regulations, the government must buy contaminated animals from hunters who catch them.
Berlin compensated hunters to the tune of over $500,000 in 2009, writes German newspaper Der Spiegel -- quadruple the payment in 2007.
Though the Chernobyl explosion happened a quarter century ago, high levels of radiation remain in the region’s vegetation. And wild boars are especially susceptible because of their proclivity for mushrooms and truffles, which are especially efficient at absorbing radiation.
"In the regions where it is particularly problematic, all boar that are shot are checked for radiation," Andreas Leppmann from the German Hunting Federation told the paper. There are 70 measuring stations in Bavaria alone.
While general radioactivity in plants should continue to decrease, levels in fungi may even increase, leaving no end in sight for this issue. One expert told Der Spiegel that the problem will likely remain for at least another 50 years.
Read more at Der Spiegel.
FoxNews.com
Wikimedia
Recently, Germany has reported a surge in the wild boar population. According to one recent study, German wild boar litters have six to eight piglets on average, other countries usually only about four or five.
It sounds like the plot of a B-movie, yet it’s bizarrely true: Radioactive boars are on the loose and thriving in Germany’s forests.
A succession of mild winters has left Germany scrambling to deal with a skyrocketing wild boar population. Tales of swarming beasts rampaging through city streets and attacking citizens occur with alarming regularity.
The problem has been aggravated by the lingering effects of the Chernobyl disaster from twenty-five years ago; a large portion of the wild animals are contaminated by radioactivity.
Poisonous radiation leaves the beasts completely inedible (wild boar is considered a delicacy in Germany), and the phenomenon is becoming expensive for the German government. In the last hunting season, 650,000 boar were shot versus 287,000 in the previous year. And due to atomic energy regulations, the government must buy contaminated animals from hunters who catch them.
Berlin compensated hunters to the tune of over $500,000 in 2009, writes German newspaper Der Spiegel -- quadruple the payment in 2007.
Though the Chernobyl explosion happened a quarter century ago, high levels of radiation remain in the region’s vegetation. And wild boars are especially susceptible because of their proclivity for mushrooms and truffles, which are especially efficient at absorbing radiation.
"In the regions where it is particularly problematic, all boar that are shot are checked for radiation," Andreas Leppmann from the German Hunting Federation told the paper. There are 70 measuring stations in Bavaria alone.
While general radioactivity in plants should continue to decrease, levels in fungi may even increase, leaving no end in sight for this issue. One expert told Der Spiegel that the problem will likely remain for at least another 50 years.
Read more at Der Spiegel.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Scientists discover bizarre deep sea creatures
Australian scientists have discovered never-seen-before prehistoric marine life in the depths of the ocean below the Great Barrier Reef, the University of Queensland said Wednesday.
Ancient “six-gilled” sharks, giant oil fish, swarms of crustaceans and many unidentified fish – all of which look worthy of a science-fiction film – were among the astounding marine life caught on camera some 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) below sea level.
The team, led by Justin Marshall, also collected footage of the Nautilius, a relative of the octopus that still lives in a shell as they have done for millions of years. Team members used special light-sensitive, custom-designed remote controlled cameras that sat on the ocean floor below the Osprey Reef.
“As well as understanding life at the surface, we need to plunge off the walls of Osprey to describe the deep-sea life that lives down to 2,000 meters, beyond the reach of sunlight,” Marshall said in a statement.
“We simply do not know what life is down there, and our cameras can now record the behavior and life in Australia’s largest biosphere, the deep-sea.”
Marshall told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper that he is now working with taxonomists and experts from around the world to identify these creatures.
"If you go down that deep, you are going to find new species," he told the paper.
Researcher Andy Dunstand said learning about these creatures’ primitive eyes and brain could help neuroscientists better understand human vision.
Marshall also said the sea creatures might help researchers better understand brain disorders, which lead to conditions such as epilepsy, explaining that most knowledge on how nerve cells function and communicate was first pioneered through work on giant squid nerve cells.
Deep sea marine life – and the lack of understanding of it – as well as the challenges of working at such depths have been thrust into the national spotlight in recent weeks, as the United States debates the merits of drilling for oil in increasingly deeper waters following the oil disaster off the Gulf of Mexico.
"I think it's reasonable to say we've seen more of the moon than the deep sea," Lisa Levin, a professor of biological oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told CNN.com earlier this month.
The unfolding scientific mysteries of the deep are reason enough for some marine biologists to say that we should not be drilling for oil at such depths.
"We have a tendency to wreck things before we even discover them," Levin said.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/15/scientists-discover-bizarre-deep-sea-creatures/
Ancient “six-gilled” sharks, giant oil fish, swarms of crustaceans and many unidentified fish – all of which look worthy of a science-fiction film – were among the astounding marine life caught on camera some 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) below sea level.
The team, led by Justin Marshall, also collected footage of the Nautilius, a relative of the octopus that still lives in a shell as they have done for millions of years. Team members used special light-sensitive, custom-designed remote controlled cameras that sat on the ocean floor below the Osprey Reef.
“As well as understanding life at the surface, we need to plunge off the walls of Osprey to describe the deep-sea life that lives down to 2,000 meters, beyond the reach of sunlight,” Marshall said in a statement.
“We simply do not know what life is down there, and our cameras can now record the behavior and life in Australia’s largest biosphere, the deep-sea.”
Marshall told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper that he is now working with taxonomists and experts from around the world to identify these creatures.
"If you go down that deep, you are going to find new species," he told the paper.
Researcher Andy Dunstand said learning about these creatures’ primitive eyes and brain could help neuroscientists better understand human vision.
Marshall also said the sea creatures might help researchers better understand brain disorders, which lead to conditions such as epilepsy, explaining that most knowledge on how nerve cells function and communicate was first pioneered through work on giant squid nerve cells.
Deep sea marine life – and the lack of understanding of it – as well as the challenges of working at such depths have been thrust into the national spotlight in recent weeks, as the United States debates the merits of drilling for oil in increasingly deeper waters following the oil disaster off the Gulf of Mexico.
"I think it's reasonable to say we've seen more of the moon than the deep sea," Lisa Levin, a professor of biological oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told CNN.com earlier this month.
The unfolding scientific mysteries of the deep are reason enough for some marine biologists to say that we should not be drilling for oil at such depths.
"We have a tendency to wreck things before we even discover them," Levin said.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/15/scientists-discover-bizarre-deep-sea-creatures/
Friday, July 16, 2010
Swarm of 30,000 bees that 'turned the sky black'
A swarm of 30,000 bees surrounded a home in Lincolnshire "turning the sky black".
By Laura Roberts
Published: 7:30AM BST 16 Jul 2010
Phil Sanderson, 34, said the sound of the insects was the equivalent to " a crowd of people blowing vuvuzelas".
The swarm initally swirled around the father of three's home so loudly that he couldn't hear his partner Serena Reed, 34, talking.
After an hour the bees clumped together into a 2ft long 'grape' on a nearby 10ft high conifer tree before flying away.
Mr Sanderson, a mail order catalogue worker who photographed the bees at home in Pinchbeck, near Spalding, Lincs., said the noise sounded "exactly like being at a World Cup game".
He said: "At first I didn't know what it was, it looked like a black snow blizzard all around the house and sounded like we'd been surrounded by people blowing vuvuzelas.
"But when I saw it was bees I was horrified. It was a bit of a rush to shut the windows to make sure none of them got in.
"I still can't believe it when I look at the pictures, the last thing you expect is to be surrounded by 30,000 bees."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7893487/Swarm-of-30000-bees-that-turned-the-sky-black.html
By Laura Roberts
Published: 7:30AM BST 16 Jul 2010
Phil Sanderson, 34, said the sound of the insects was the equivalent to " a crowd of people blowing vuvuzelas".
The swarm initally swirled around the father of three's home so loudly that he couldn't hear his partner Serena Reed, 34, talking.
After an hour the bees clumped together into a 2ft long 'grape' on a nearby 10ft high conifer tree before flying away.
Mr Sanderson, a mail order catalogue worker who photographed the bees at home in Pinchbeck, near Spalding, Lincs., said the noise sounded "exactly like being at a World Cup game".
He said: "At first I didn't know what it was, it looked like a black snow blizzard all around the house and sounded like we'd been surrounded by people blowing vuvuzelas.
"But when I saw it was bees I was horrified. It was a bit of a rush to shut the windows to make sure none of them got in.
"I still can't believe it when I look at the pictures, the last thing you expect is to be surrounded by 30,000 bees."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7893487/Swarm-of-30000-bees-that-turned-the-sky-black.html
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Crabs invade Britain
18 June 2010 16:30 GMT
Thousands of swimming crabs are invading British waters.
Swarms of Henslow crabs are coming to the UK's east coast from their natural habitat off of Portugal due to an increase in sea temperatures.
The crustaceans are not dangerous to people but could have an effect on local species.
Unlike other crabs who walk on the sea bed, this breed uses their specially modified limbs, which are flattened at the tips, to swim through the water.
Plymouth University's Dr. Richard Kirby - who made the discovery while leading a study into the increase of planktonic larvae of North Sea decapods - said: "They could give you a nasty nip."
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/183391-crabs-invade-britain/
Thousands of swimming crabs are invading British waters.
Swarms of Henslow crabs are coming to the UK's east coast from their natural habitat off of Portugal due to an increase in sea temperatures.
The crustaceans are not dangerous to people but could have an effect on local species.
Unlike other crabs who walk on the sea bed, this breed uses their specially modified limbs, which are flattened at the tips, to swim through the water.
Plymouth University's Dr. Richard Kirby - who made the discovery while leading a study into the increase of planktonic larvae of North Sea decapods - said: "They could give you a nasty nip."
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/183391-crabs-invade-britain/
Friday, June 18, 2010
Urban bats: Berlin's other nightlife
Published: 18 Jun 10 12:50 CETBats are among Germany's most endangered animals, but Berlin is home to more of the furry flying mammals than any other central European city. The Local’s Kristen Allen gets face to fangs with the nocturnal beasts to investigate.
- The Local's urban bat watching tips - Science & Technology (18 Jun 10)
- The Local’s tips for bat conservation - Science & Technology (18 Jun 10)
A 400-year-old fortress seems like a fitting location for a bat lair, and the dark basement of Berlin’s Spandau Citadel is home to more than 200 of the fluttering nighttime creatures.
As soon as the bats smell the fruit, they swarm, tugging away dainty bites, alighting on hands and deftly avoiding collisions. It’s a peculiar feeling, but their velvety fur and breezy wings are more fairylike than vampire.
These are South American fruit bats, on display for visitors and children’s birthday parties at the Fledermaus Keller, or bat cellar, an educational centre co-founded in 2003 by Henning and other volunteers with a passion for protecting bats.
Here people of all ages can meet the creatures up close an take tours of the grounds to learn more about the gentle animals, which have throughout history been the unfortunate victims of irrational fears of evil and disease.
The surrounding citadel houses some 11,000 bats during their winter hibernation roost, making it one of Europe’s most important bat habitats, according to Germany’s Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU). The environmental group began a nationwide bat protection campaign in 2001.
Winding through the dank arched corridors deep inside the fortress, Henning explains that most of the bats leave for their summer quarters in the springtime. But a few males remain behind to get first pick when females return for autumn breeding, he says, pointing his torch at a few sleepy-eyed furballs dangling in high caverns.
Twenty-one different bat species – all insectivores – are found in Germany and these greater mouse-eared bats are just one type of furry flier that make Berlin home to more bats than any other central European city, according to NABU.
“Bats are plentiful in Berlin because it is so expansive and green, with big old trees – even right in the city centre,” Henning explains. “The bats like to live in tree hollows. And there is also lots of water, which they like too.”
The city, still somewhat ramshackle in parts even 20 years after German reunification, also offers plenty of war bunkers and drafty old buildings, which are favoured as roosting spots.
Endangered by tidiness
But a changing environment, habitat destruction and a general lack of knowledge mean that even though they have few natural predators, every German species remains endangered, says Dr. Christian C. Voigt, a bat expert at the Berlin-based Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.
“Many homes where they lived have been renovated,” he says, explaining that bats are extremely sensitive to roost disturbance. “Germans like to clean up and keep things tidy, tearing down old buildings, but it destroys bat habitats.”
A growing chorus of bat activists including Henning and Voigt aim to educate the public about just how important the tiny creatures are – even for urban environments.
“Bats take on the nighttime position that birds take during the day. Without them eating all the insects and pests they do the city would be unliveable,” Henning says, describing how Daubenton’s bats, which hunt near water, can gulp down up to 4,000 mosquitoes per night. They also provide other ecosystem service functions such as seed dispersion and pollination.
In March, the German wildlife foundation (Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung) teamed up with a Protestant foundation for nature protection to install “bat inns” on church belfries, which were once a favourite roosting choice for the nocturnal mammals. The state of Saxony supports a campaign to put seals on bat-friendly buildings called Fledermaus komm ins Haus, or “Bat, come into the house.”
Meanwhile major German cities have municipal environmental protection officials, who quietly work on behalf of bats.
Dr. Regine Grafe heads this effort in Berlin, training and consulting with construction companies about their legal obligation to protect habitats, fielding calls from residents who may have found an errant bat, and working to create new roosts as old sites fall victim to progress.
“The modern facades with their glass and steel are naturally no place for bats,” Grafe laments. “So we try to balance the situation by creating roosts nearby, hoping that they move in and monitoring the sites afterwards.”
Occasionally people find the animals in their homes and her office gets a frantic call from a resident that betrays dying superstitions about the animals.
“There are these old wives’ tales about how you have to shave your head if they come in contact with your hair, and they want to know what to do,” she laughs.
The rabies question
One fear is however valid, the experts said. Some bats do carry rabies, but human infection is extremely rare and can be avoided with a simple booster shot from a doctor.
Despite lingering ignorance, the educational efforts are slowly working.
“Children are no longer afraid of them, because their parents aren’t telling them scary stories and there’s a lot of positive literature out there now. They’re gaining a better standing in society,” bat cellar founder Henning says while feeding grubs to injured bats brought to the centre by concerned residents.
But there have been some setbacks – like the city of Dresden’s decision to build a a new bridge over the Elbe River last year, which could endanger the habitat of a special Horseshoe bat, and the recent destruction of a roost in Berlin’s Biesdorf neighbourhood by a crew of careless tree trimmers.
“Overall Germany is doing very well, though,” says bat expert Voigt, describing a wealth of research underway in the capital. “Bats are all over Berlin, flying along the streets, hunting at street lights and ponds, all you have to do is open your eyes and look up.”
External links:
- More information on the bat cellar (in German) »
- European bat night is on August 28 this year, find out which events are happening near you »
- More bat night events (in German) »
- Dresden's bat seal programme (in German) »
http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20100618-27869.html
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Swarm Of Toxic Jellyfish Found Off UK Coast
1:20pm UK, Tuesday June 15, 2010Emma Langman, Sky News Online
Hundreds of giant venomous jellyfish have turned up at the Cornish coast in their search for food.
The Lion's Mane jellyfish, or Cyanea capillata, have a sting which can cause muscle paralysis, leading to suffocation and heart attacks.
The swarm of newcomers was first discoverd by diver Andy Pearson, who was surrounded by more than 200 of them while looking for basking sharks at Sennen Cove, Coverack Cove and Kynance Cove in southern Cornwall.
He also saw groups of the smaller and rarer blue jellyfish, which carry a nasty sting too.
Although he described the sight as "spectacular", Mr Pearson warned fellow divers and swimmers of the danger.
He said: "Usually there will be one or two but the jellyfish were literally everywhere in the water. It was worrying.
"Swimmers really need to be careful because the Lion's Mane can give a potent sting."
Ruth Williams, of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "It's unusual to get them in such massive swarms in Cornwall."
She also said swimmers must be careful and should stay "well clear of their trailing tentacles".
A spokesman for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution said they were aware of the danger and advised beach users to take care.
The Lion's Mane is one of the largest species of jellyfish. While their sting itself is not lethal, their tentacles are covered in stinging cells which can cause blisters and severe muscular cramp, affecing the respiratory system and heart function.
The creatures, which can reach up to 10ft long, are normally found further north in the colder Arctic and northern Atlantic oceans, but the freezing winter has made the southern seas cold enough for them.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Hundreds-Of-Venomous-Lions-Mane-Jellyfish-Found-Off-The-Cornish-Coast/Article/201006315649499
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Bees stop play at Highcliffe Bowling Club
RIGHT: The swarm on the bowling ball3:10pm Tuesday 8th June 2010
IT looked as if someone had thrown their hat onto the bowling green.
In fact it was a large swarm of bees which landed on a bowling wood at Highcliffe Bowling Club yesterday forcing bowlers to swiftly abandon their game.
The bees were set to be removed by a local beekeeper following the drama at the club at Nea Meadows, Smugglers Lane South at around 4pm yesterday.
Lady vice-captain, Thelma Richardson, who witnessed the drama, said: “We were all playing bowls and all these bees came down. The whole of an outdoor bowling wood was covered by a swarm of bees. We all abandoned the bowling green.
“There were millions of them. We called the bee keeper and he is going to bring his hive along and take them away. It was an amazing spectacle.”
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8206690.Bees_stop_play_at_Highcliffe_Bowling_Club/
(Submitted by Mark North)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
First record of Greater kestrel in West Africa
June 2010. Sharp eyes and attention to detail have again paid off with the discovery of a Greater Kestrel (Falco rupicoloides) in Termit (Niger), the very first record for all of West Africa. The bird was spotted and photographed by project leader, Thomas Rabeil, and his team on February 16, 2010, during regular wildlife monitoring work. Unlike anything they had seen before, photos of the bird were sent to several world renowned bird experts, including Ron Demey and Nik Borrow, authors of the definitive Field Guide to the Birds of West Africa, Tim Wacher (Birds of the Gambia and Senegal), and Joost Brouwer and Ulf Liedén of the online Niger Bird Database. Greater Kestrel was their unanimous response.
We always knew Termit was a treasure house of Sahelo-Saharan biodiversity and an important overwintering and stopping off point for migrant birds from the palaearctic region but this amazing find goes to further underline its importance for biodiversity on an even larger scale.
Greater kestrel
The Greater Kestrel, also known as the White-eyed Kestrel, is a small to medium sized falcon with a known range limited to the semi-aridlands of East and Southern Africa. The nearest known populations are in eastern Ethiopia. One can only speculate why and how it turned up several thousand kilometres from its known range. Birds of prey are known to migrate over vast distances and can be drawn into unfamiliar territory by storms or swarming locusts.
John Newby, Sahara Conservation Fund.
Greater kestrel
The Greater Kestrel, also known as the White-eyed Kestrel, is a small to medium sized falcon with a known range limited to the semi-aridlands of East and Southern Africa. The nearest known populations are in eastern Ethiopia. One can only speculate why and how it turned up several thousand kilometres from its known range. Birds of prey are known to migrate over vast distances and can be drawn into unfamiliar territory by storms or swarming locusts.
John Newby, Sahara Conservation Fund.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Buzz off! Thousands of bees cling to Michigan SUV
Apr 30, 3:21 PM EDT
HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) -- A beekeeper came to the rescue after a sport utility vehicle was swarmed by thousands of bees. Tanya Young of Hudsonville told The Grand Rapids Press her husband called Thursday to let her know that the bees had made the front bumper of her Honda their new home. She said she thought it was a joke.
The bees rattled the nerves of some neighborhood residents, who kept children indoors and shut windows. The bees had been living in a nearby tree, but it's unclear why they decided to swarm the SUV.
Beekeeper Jim Zoerner was called to help collect them. He and a colleague worked for about an hour and collected the bees in a wooden box hive.
Zoerner said there were no reports of bad stings.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_CLINGY_BEES?SITE=MOSPL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) -- A beekeeper came to the rescue after a sport utility vehicle was swarmed by thousands of bees. Tanya Young of Hudsonville told The Grand Rapids Press her husband called Thursday to let her know that the bees had made the front bumper of her Honda their new home. She said she thought it was a joke.
The bees rattled the nerves of some neighborhood residents, who kept children indoors and shut windows. The bees had been living in a nearby tree, but it's unclear why they decided to swarm the SUV.
Beekeeper Jim Zoerner was called to help collect them. He and a colleague worked for about an hour and collected the bees in a wooden box hive.
Zoerner said there were no reports of bad stings.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_CLINGY_BEES?SITE=MOSPL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Beekeeper is killed by his own swarm
Thursday April 29,2010
By Nick Fagge
A GRANDFATHER died after being attacked by bees from his own hive, it emerged yesterday.
Christopher Weaver, a 56-year-old lawyer from Leicester, was feeding the insects when they swarmed and attacked him in their thousands. The Falklands veteran, who was not wearing protective clothing, tried to escape but collapsed due to the sheer number of stings. He died from heart failure triggered by the venom.
His wife Sandra, 28, was at the couple’s home 300 yards from the beehive when the tragedy happened two weeks ago. She said: “He went to feed them and the next thing I knew, his friend was banging on the door saying he’d collapsed. Chris was adamant that he knew what he was doing. He was always being stung.”
Mr Weaver leaves two grown-up sons and a seven-year-old granddaughter. His mother Monica, 80, from Plymouth, Devon, said: “Chris was stung so much, he probably thought he was immune.”
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/172051/Beekeeper-is-killed-by-his-own-swarm
By Nick Fagge
A GRANDFATHER died after being attacked by bees from his own hive, it emerged yesterday.
Christopher Weaver, a 56-year-old lawyer from Leicester, was feeding the insects when they swarmed and attacked him in their thousands. The Falklands veteran, who was not wearing protective clothing, tried to escape but collapsed due to the sheer number of stings. He died from heart failure triggered by the venom.
His wife Sandra, 28, was at the couple’s home 300 yards from the beehive when the tragedy happened two weeks ago. She said: “He went to feed them and the next thing I knew, his friend was banging on the door saying he’d collapsed. Chris was adamant that he knew what he was doing. He was always being stung.”
Mr Weaver leaves two grown-up sons and a seven-year-old granddaughter. His mother Monica, 80, from Plymouth, Devon, said: “Chris was stung so much, he probably thought he was immune.”
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/172051/Beekeeper-is-killed-by-his-own-swarm
Elephants Emit Special "Bee Rumble" to Warn Others About Marauding Bugs
Posted: 27 Apr 2010 11:24 AM PDT
When it comes to the relationship between bees and African elephants, size does not matter. The massive pachyderms are terrified of bees, which can painfully sting elephants around their eyes and inside their trunks. Baby elephants are the most vulnerable to bee stings, as their skin isn't thick enough to ward off the insects. And researchers have now found that the elephants have developed a special strategy to help them avoid these bees that scare the bejesus out of them.
When an elephant takes note of a swarm of bees, it emits a distinct rumbling call. This bee alarm, which the scientists termed a "bee rumble," helps draw the herd's attention to the bees and allows them to run off unharmed, the researchers write in the journal PloS ONE. What's more, they respond to an audio recording of the bee rumble as if it were the real thing, giving farmers a tool they could potentially use to fend off unwanted elephants.
This is the first time that an alarm call for a specific threat has been identified in elephants. Lead researcher Lucy King of the University of Oxford believes that such calls may be an "emotional response" to a threat and a way to co-ordinate group movements. Ms King explained: "We discovered elephants not only flee from the buzzing sound, but make a unique rumbling call, as well as shaking their heads" [BBC]. The head-shaking looked like an attempt to fend off or dislodge the bees that the elephants assumed were buzzing around, King says.
For the study, King and her team played the recordings of the bee rumble vocalization to 10 elephant families. Six of the families immediately got up and fled, despite the fact that they had neither seen nor heard any bees. When the scientists tweaked the vocalization a bit to remove a key acoustical feature found in bee rumbles, the elephants stayed put. The researchers suggest that elephants may also have warning calls to alert their fellows to humans and lions---much like Diana monkeys in West Africa can call out a leopard alarm or eagle alarm, depending on which predator they spot [ScienceNOW].
King hopes that recordings of the bee rumble can be used by farmers to chase away elephants and keep them from trampling fields. As agriculture expands in Africa, elephants have been squeezed into tighter habitats--causing them to stray across fields and damage crops. "Farmers will do anything to keep their crops and families safe from damage, and unfortunately records of shootings, spearings, and poisonings of elephants are on the increase," Ms King wrote on the University of Oxford's website [BBC]. King hopes that playing back the bee rumble around fields could serve as a low-tech, humane deterrent to elephants, who will then be sent packing back into the woods.
(Submitted by T. Peter Park)
When it comes to the relationship between bees and African elephants, size does not matter. The massive pachyderms are terrified of bees, which can painfully sting elephants around their eyes and inside their trunks. Baby elephants are the most vulnerable to bee stings, as their skin isn't thick enough to ward off the insects. And researchers have now found that the elephants have developed a special strategy to help them avoid these bees that scare the bejesus out of them.
When an elephant takes note of a swarm of bees, it emits a distinct rumbling call. This bee alarm, which the scientists termed a "bee rumble," helps draw the herd's attention to the bees and allows them to run off unharmed, the researchers write in the journal PloS ONE. What's more, they respond to an audio recording of the bee rumble as if it were the real thing, giving farmers a tool they could potentially use to fend off unwanted elephants.
This is the first time that an alarm call for a specific threat has been identified in elephants. Lead researcher Lucy King of the University of Oxford believes that such calls may be an "emotional response" to a threat and a way to co-ordinate group movements. Ms King explained: "We discovered elephants not only flee from the buzzing sound, but make a unique rumbling call, as well as shaking their heads" [BBC]. The head-shaking looked like an attempt to fend off or dislodge the bees that the elephants assumed were buzzing around, King says.
For the study, King and her team played the recordings of the bee rumble vocalization to 10 elephant families. Six of the families immediately got up and fled, despite the fact that they had neither seen nor heard any bees. When the scientists tweaked the vocalization a bit to remove a key acoustical feature found in bee rumbles, the elephants stayed put. The researchers suggest that elephants may also have warning calls to alert their fellows to humans and lions---much like Diana monkeys in West Africa can call out a leopard alarm or eagle alarm, depending on which predator they spot [ScienceNOW].
King hopes that recordings of the bee rumble can be used by farmers to chase away elephants and keep them from trampling fields. As agriculture expands in Africa, elephants have been squeezed into tighter habitats--causing them to stray across fields and damage crops. "Farmers will do anything to keep their crops and families safe from damage, and unfortunately records of shootings, spearings, and poisonings of elephants are on the increase," Ms King wrote on the University of Oxford's website [BBC]. King hopes that playing back the bee rumble around fields could serve as a low-tech, humane deterrent to elephants, who will then be sent packing back into the woods.
(Submitted by T. Peter Park)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Alcathoe's bat discovered in Yorkshire and Sussex
20 April 2010A species of bat never seen before in the UK has been discovered in caves in Yorkshire and Sussex.
Myotis alcathoe, or Alcathoe's bat, was found in woodland in Rydedale in the North York Moors National Park and the South Downs of Sussex.
The bats, which are about the size of the end of a thumb, were identified by researchers from Leeds and Sheffield universities.
It is believed they could be present in other parts of Britain.
The bats were found during a Europe-wide study of bat population ecology and genetics.
'Swarming' sites
The species was discovered in Greece in 2001 and is a native of continental Europe, but until now it was presumed that the English Channel had acted as a barrier preventing it from reaching the UK.
Researchers believe the bat has not been spotted before because its appearance is similar to other species.
Professor John Altringham, from the University of Leeds, said: "Most of the bats were captured as they entered underground 'swarming' sites, where bats gather to mate before going into hibernation."
He said the discovery took the number of bat species established in the UK from 16 to 17.
Brian Walker, Forestry Commission wildlife officer for the North York Moors, said: "We have some incredibly rich bat habitats in North Yorkshire.
"It was only a few years ago that work locally helped to confirm that the common pipistrelle was actually made up of two different species."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8632121.stm
(Submitted by Liz R)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Swarm of bees land on socks
Click to enlarge
THESE bees made a beeline for socks drying on a washing line. Beekeeper Brian Gardiner was called to clear the 20,000-strong swarm after the homeowner got a nasty surprise.'She had gone out to bring the washing in and got the fright of her life,' he said.
'When she rang me and described where the swarm was, I had to grab my camera.'
Mr Gardiner, 5, said bees swarm in the spring when their hives become overcrowded, forcing the queen bee to head out with some of her workers. The bees 'cluster' nearby while scouts head out to find suitable locations, added the beekeeper from Neilborough in Victoria, Australia.
http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/2010/04/14/ - p25.
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