Showing results for "Bugs!" in Nature

Grassland ecosystems can be found on nearly every continent. Countless animals and plants live in them. So what difference could the loss of one animal species make? Follow the chain reaction, and discover how important honey bees are.

Did you know that there are more insects than any other group of animals? The diversity of insects is staggering. What do ants have in common with bees? What’s the difference between a butterfly and a moth? How are ladybugs and weevils related? Some insects have a set of wings, some have two, but others might not have any. Some insects have a hard outer shell (exoskeleton). Learn how insects are alike and how they are different in this latest addition to the Compare and Contrast Series.

The world is crawling with all sorts of bugs and other little critters. But don’t be fooled by their small size, many of these creatures are quite dangerous. Some are armed with powerful poison that can kill a person. Others carry and spread deadly diseases. Brace yourself to discover some of the world’s tiniest killers.

Las tarántulas usan sus fuertes mandíbulas para atrapar a su presa. Pero estas grandes arañas no son tan peligrosas como se cree. ¡Algunas hasta pueden ser mascotas!

What is juicy, red and green with white stripes and pops up from the ground ready to eat—watermelon! Their seeds need plenty of water, lots of sun and nutrient rich soil. Follow along as a tiny, black seed bursts into a delicious fruit. Watermelons are ready to be picked when their yellow petals have all fallen. Find out what Bee-u-ti-ful insect helps the watermelon grow?

The insect world is a fascinating place. You may not think so. You may think insects are gross. Or scary. Or dangerous. But there’s so much more to insects than what meets the eye. Told through hilarious prose and packed full of jaw-dropping facts, Brenna Maloney’s first-person narrative presents the big picture on bugs. Insects play a critical role on our planet—as pollinators, garbage collectors, artistic muses, research partners, and even as “dinner.”

Honey bees play an important role in the environment. But what makes them ecosystem engineers? From how they pollinate plants to how their actions benefit other animals, learn all about these tiny but mighty insects.

Honey bees are among the world’s most important insects. They help pollinate many of the crops we depend on for food. Without them, the global food supply would be in great danger. In 1998, beekeepers in Europe made a shocking discovery—almost all of the honey bees had disappeared from their hives. Several years later, beekeepers in the United States found that many of their honey bees had vanished too. Scientists called this disappearance colony collapse disorder (CCD), and at first, no one knew why it was happening.

As flowers and trees begin to bud and bloom, Nox Ap, the bee mother, emerges from her winter sleep. To the Gitxsan, she is nature’s gardener. Without her hard work as a pollinator, we could not enjoy the fruits of strawberries and huckleberries. Follow her life from the first thaw of spring to the end of autumn.

Many insects drink nectar and collect pollen from flowers, and in the process they help plants reproduce. Listeners will investigate how bees, butterflies, ants, and other insects assist in pollination. Simple text helps listeners understand key ideas and details about this important science concept.

Honeybees are a crucial part of our food chain. As they gather nectar from flowers to make sweet honey, these bees also play an important role in pollination, helping some plants produce fruit. But large numbers of honeybees are disappearing every year...and no one knows why. Is a fungus killing them? Could a poor diet be the cause? What about changes to bees' natural habitat? In this real-life science mystery, scientists and beekeepers are working to answer these questions...and save the world's honeybees before it's too late.