Why do bees keep returning to crops that do not need pollination? Isaac Esquivel, an assistant professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is investigating what draws bees to cotton, peanut and soybean fields across the South, even though these crops can produce a harvest without their help.
“It’s somewhat understudied,” said Esquivel. The research is asking why bees keep returning and even nesting, despite regular field work and pest treatments. These crops don’t rely on bees to set seed, so the bees’ continued presence raises more questions for farmers and researchers.
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