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ABC News
19-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Store-bought bee hotels doing more harm than good for native species
When Marc Newman's wife brought home a new bee hotel from a local hardware store, he knew it was going to attract trouble. The 86-year-old had spent almost 20 years building the wooden structures that help support native bee numbers across Queensland's Darling Downs and knew the particular specifications they required. The Toowoomba local said, like many cheap imports, the store-bought bee hotel fell short. He had to drill larger holes to protect native bees from predators like wasps and also painted or replaced some of the timber he suspected had been treated with toxic chemicals. Mr Newman said it was disappointing that unsuitable pre-made hotels were still being sold. "What happens is the bees don't use those hotels and people get disillusioned," he said. "It's on the internet all the time, people have bought the hotel and it's not the right design." As more Australians become aware of the need to protect native bee species, many are buying cheap pre-made hotels to set up in their backyard. University of Southern Queensland postdoctoral researcher Kit Prendergast said these hotels had many flaws, meaning they were either not suitable for native bees, or could cause them harm. "Some are metal cans with things stuck into them and they can get very hot," she said. "Other are just containers stuffed with twigs, leaves, pine cones and any sort of natural woody material, which the bees won't use." Dr Prendergast said bee hotels needed to be carefully designed to attract native bees. "You want holes that are less than 10 millimetres in diameter and longer than 10 centimetres, [without] splinters," she said. "You want untreated materials, so ones that haven't been imported from overseas and treated with chemicals." According to the Australian Native Bee Association (ANBA), more needed to be done to help protect the estimated 1,700 native bee species. ANBA chair Megan Halcroft said there was currently no national monitoring scheme for native bees. "We don't know the health status of our native populations of insects," Dr Halcroft said. "We've done no research and we've got no baseline data to compare with. "If you don't know what you've started with, you can't know if you've lost numbers or if you've increased numbers." Dr Halcroft said Australia was behind other first world countries when it came to monitoring. "It's only in the last few years that there has been an increase in awareness [of natives] within the broader community, councils, and a little bit in government," she said. Mr Newman said the community's interest in native bees had grown since he first became involved in 2006. He now passes on his knowledge to others, often posting his bee hotel specifications online. "I started off doing all the wrong things and ended up hopefully doing it right," he said. Dr Halcroft said people interested in protecting native species should stay away from common European honey bees. "Honey bees are not native to Australia at all, they are very competitive," she said. "There's a lot of competition out there and we don't need more invasive species." Only 11 species of native Australian bees make honey. Native bees play a critical role in the environment by pollinating native plants, many of which cannot be pollinated by introduced bees.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Scientists recommend limits on urban beekeeping to protect Australia's native bees from honeybees
Scientists have recommended limits on urban beekeeping after a peer-reviewed study found introduced honeybees could be harming Australian native bees and risked driving them to extinction. The Australian research, published in Frontiers in Bee Science, found native bees living in areas with high densities of introduced honeybees had fewer female offspring and a higher death rate in their first year of life. Dr Kit Prendergast, the lead author of the study, said honeybees posed a threat to the health and size of native bee populations – and there was a risk population declines could eventually lead to local extinctions. 'By boosting honeybee numbers, you can be harming native bees,' said Prendergast, a native bee scientist and conservationist at the University of Southern Queensland. More than 1,700 species of native bees have been identified in Australia, and they play an important role in pollinating native trees and wildflowers. Unlike the common domestic honeybee, which was introduced to Australia from Europe about 200 years ago for honey and crop pollination, most Australian native bee species aren't yellow and black and don't live in hives. Native bees ranged from some of the smallest bees in the world to 'really big, bombastic ones' like the Dawson's burrowing bee, a ground-nesting bee with a 4.5cm wingspan, Prendergast said. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter Over two spring-summer seasons, Prendergast and a team of researchers studied native bees living in specially designed bee hotels – wooden boxes designed for native bees to rest and breed in – across 14 sites in Perth, investigating whether proximity to European honeybees impacted various signs of health in native populations. Both introduced and native bees needed nectar and pollen to survive and reproduce, but when resources were scarce – particularly during drought or after bushfires – introduced bees dominated, as they could travel further and forage on a greater variety of plants. As a precautionary step, the authors recommended limits on urban beekeeping, and steps to prevent and control swarming – where the queen takes half the colony to find a new place to live – and feral hives, especially in state and national parks. Protecting and increasing flowering trees like eucalyptus, myrtles and bottlebrushes and wildflowers could help support native bee populations, the authors said. Dr Katja Hogendoorn, an expert in native and introduced bees at the University of Adelaide who was not involved in the study, said while European bees played an important role in crop pollination, their use for honey production should be limited to protect native species. Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion She said the findings were consistent with other research showing high densities of honeybees reduced available nectar and pollen resources for native populations, and larger bees in particular struggled to find enough food to fly. Compared to other countries, Australia had 'an enormous number of feral hives' – or honeybee colonies in the wild – she said, but as they were often high up in eucalyptus tree hollows, it made removing them extremely difficult and labour intensive. Hogendoorn said protecting and planting flowering native plants was critical, given bees suffered from the effects of habitat loss, climate change and competition from honeybees. Hogendoorn said about a third of Australia's bee species were yet to be described. She was part of a team that described 71 new native species of resin pot bees, which are unique to Australia and build nests out of resin. It was important to understand what species there were, where they lived and whether they were endangered, she said. 'We still have a lot to discover,' she said. 'We may be losing species that we don't even know about yet.'
Japan Today
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Depoliticizing Eurovision 'impossible,' experts say
The 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo was marked by demonstrations, with thousands attending pro-Palestinian rallies By Nina LARSON The Eurovision Song Contest is meant to be about celebrating music and cultural diversity, but politics inevitably seeps in, challenging the competition's long-standing claim to neutrality. Hopeful artists drawn from 37 countries will compete in this year's contest in the Swiss city of Basel starting next week, with the big finale on May 17. Politics is officially barred from the event, but as with most years, organisers will have their hands full striving to keep tensions over culture wars and conflicts like Israel's war in Gaza from spilling into the glitzy festivities. Experts agree that is a tall order. "It's impossible to depoliticise the event," Dean Vuletic, a historian and the author of the book "Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest", told AFP. "It is completely impossible," agreed Jess Carniel, an associate professor at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. "With everyone competing under their national flag... there is always an undercurrent of politics." From the inception of the contest nearly 70 years ago, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, has insisted on its non-political nature. But politics have been omnipresent, from an Austrian protest over Spain's Franco dictatorship in 1969 to calls for European unity as the Soviet Union broke apart and Eastern European countries joined the contest in the early 1990s. Before 1998 when Eurovision stopped requiring countries to perform in their national language, some strong political sentiments expressed in songs garnered little attention. Greece submitted a song in 1976 slamming Turkey over its invasion of Cyprus, "but it was in Greek and there was not much attention", Lisanne Wilken, an associate professor in European studies at Denmark's Aarhus University, told AFP. Since then, increased media attention and the possibility to put forth messages in English has meant that for "anyone who wants attention for a cause, Eurovision is a really good place to go", she said. More recent expressions of political condemnation have certainly not gone unnoticed. Russia's war in Ukraine dominated the discourse around the events in 2022, when Ukraine won the contest and Russia was barred, and again in 2023. And last year, Israel's war in Gaza cast a long shadow over the event, when thousands of demonstrators protested in the Swedish city of Malmo against Israeli entrant Eden Golan taking part. Demonstrations are already planned against Israel's participation this year, with Yuval Raphael -- who survived Hamas's deadly attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza -- due to perform her song "New Day Will Rise". Experts say they do not expect protests on the same level as last year. One reason, Vuletic suggested, was that "the campaign against Israel last year was not successful". "No country boycotted Eurovision because of Israel" and the country garnered a high score, he pointed out. Experts also said the EBU's introduction of new rules may have an impact. The organisers have adopted a new flag policy, barring contestants from displaying flags other than that of the nation they represent, but loosening restrictions on the flags audience members can display. Eurovision explained that it aimed to "strike a balance to ensure that our audiences and artists can express their enthusiasm and identities, (while providing) more clarity for the delegations when it comes to official spaces". "I think the decision was mostly inspired by the references to Palestine last year," Vuletic said. Wilken meanwhile warned that the new policy could "backfire a little bit", with the ban on contestants waving Pride flags, for instance, possibly read as part of "the war on woke". Carniel agreed, pointing out that there had been "a bit of a backlash against so-called identity politics at the song contest, and criticism of the extent to which Eurovision has really leaned into queer fandom". By barring contestants from waving Pride flags or other symbols supporting LGBTQ rights, the organisers might "oddly be trying to bring more people in" by emphasising that the contest "is not an exclusively queer event". The United States may not be part of the contest, but experts said President Donald Trump's anti-diversity messaging could energise efforts by conservative forces in Europe eager to rid Eurovision of its LGBTQ-friendly identity. At the same time, the Trump administration's attacks on European countries could strengthen the contest's focus on forging a common European identity, Carniel suggested. "Given the current political climate," she said, "that idea of European unity against the outside is a strong thing." © 2025 AFP
New Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Depoliticising Eurovision 'impossible', experts say
THE Eurovision Song Contest is meant to be about celebrating music and cultural diversity, but politics inevitably seeps in, challenging the competition's long-standing claim to neutrality. Hopeful artists drawn from 37 countries will compete in this year's contest in the Swiss city of Basel starting next week, with the big finale on May 17. Politics is officially barred from the event, but as with most years, organisers will have their hands full striving to keep tensions over culture wars and conflicts like Israel's war in Gaza from spilling into the glitzy festivities. Experts agree that is a tall order. "It's impossible to depoliticise the event," Dean Vuletic, a historian and the author of the book "Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest", told AFP. "It is completely impossible," agreed Jess Carniel, an associate professor at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. "With everyone competing under their national flag... there is always an undercurrent of politics." From the inception of the contest nearly 70 years ago, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, has insisted on its non-political nature. But politics have been omnipresent, from an Austrian protest over Spain's Franco dictatorship in 1969 to calls for European unity as the Soviet Union broke apart and Eastern European countries joined the contest in the early 1990s. Before 1998 when Eurovision stopped requiring countries to perform in their national language, some strong political sentiments expressed in songs garnered little attention. Greece submitted a song in 1976 slamming Turkiye over its invasion of Cyprus, "but it was in Greek and there was not much attention", Lisanne Wilken, an associate professor in European studies at Denmark's Aarhus University, told AFP. Since then, increased media attention and the possibility to put forth messages in English has meant that for "anyone who wants attention for a cause, Eurovision is a really good place to go", she said. More recent expressions of political condemnation have certainly not gone unnoticed. Russia's war in Ukraine dominated the discourse around the events in 2022, when Ukraine won the contest and Russia was barred, and again in 2023. And last year, Israel's war in Gaza cast a long shadow over the event, when thousands of demonstrators protested in the Swedish city of Malmo against Israeli entrant Eden Golan taking part. Demonstrations are already planned against Israel's participation this year, with Yuval Raphael – who survived Hamas's deadly attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza – due to perform her song "New Day Will Rise." Experts say they do not expect protests on the same level as last year. Experts also said the EBU's introduction of new rules may have an impact. The organisers have adopted a new flag policy, barring contestants from displaying flags other than that of the nation they represent, but loosening restrictions on the flags audience members can display. Eurovision explained that it aimed to "strike a balance to ensure that our audiences and artists can express their enthusiasm and identities, (while providing) more clarity for the delegations when it comes to official spaces." "I think the decision was mostly inspired by the references to Palestine last year," Vuletic said. Wilken meanwhile warned that the new policy could "backfire a little bit", with the ban on contestants waving Pride flags, for instance, possibly read as part of "the war on woke." Carniel agreed, pointing out that there had been "a bit of a backlash against so-called identity politics at the song contest, and criticism of the extent to which Eurovision has really leaned into queer fandom." By barring contestants from waving Pride flags or other symbols supporting LGBTQ rights, the organisers might "oddly be trying to bring more people in" by emphasising that the contest "is not an exclusively queer event." The United States may not be part of the contest, but experts said President Donald Trump's anti-diversity messaging could energise efforts by conservative forces in Europe eager to rid Eurovision of its LGBTQ-friendly identity. At the same time, the Trump administration's attacks on European countries could strengthen the contest's focus on forging a common European identity, Carniel suggested. "Given the current political climate," she said, "that idea of European unity against the outside is a strong thing."
France 24
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Depoliticising Eurovision 'impossible', experts say
Hopeful artists drawn from 37 countries will compete in this year's contest in the Swiss city of Basel starting next week, with the big finale on May 17. Politics is officially barred from the event, but as with most years, organisers will have their hands full striving to keep tensions over culture wars and conflicts like Israel's war in Gaza from spilling into the glitzy festivities. Experts agree that is a tall order. "It's impossible to depoliticise the event," Dean Vuletic, a historian and the author of the book "Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest", told AFP. "It is completely impossible," agreed Jess Carniel, an associate professor at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. "With everyone competing under their national flag... there is always an undercurrent of politics." From the inception of the contest nearly 70 years ago, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, has insisted on its non-political nature. But politics have been omnipresent, from an Austrian protest over Spain's Franco dictatorship in 1969 to calls for European unity as the Soviet Union broke apart and Eastern European countries joined the contest in the early 1990s. Mass protests Before 1998 when Eurovision stopped requiring countries to perform in their national language, some strong political sentiments expressed in songs garnered little attention. Greece submitted a song in 1976 slamming Turkey over its invasion of Cyprus, "but it was in Greek and there was not much attention", Lisanne Wilken, an associate professor in European studies at Denmark's Aarhus University, told AFP. Since then, increased media attention and the possibility to put forth messages in English has meant that for "anyone who wants attention for a cause, Eurovision is a really good place to go", she said. More recent expressions of political condemnation have certainly not gone unnoticed. Russia's war in Ukraine dominated the discourse around the events in 2022, when Ukraine won the contest and Russia was barred, and again in 2023. And last year, Israel's war in Gaza cast a long shadow over the event, when thousands of demonstrators protested in the Swedish city of Malmo against Israeli entrant Eden Golan taking part. Demonstrations are already planned against Israel's participation this year, with Yuval Raphael -- who survived Hamas's deadly attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza -- due to perform her song "New Day Will Rise". New flag rules Experts say they do not expect protests on the same level as last year. One reason, Vuletic suggested, was that "the campaign against Israel last year was not successful". "No country boycotted Eurovision because of Israel" and the country garnered a high score, he pointed out. Experts also said the EBU's introduction of new rules may have an impact. The organisers have adopted a new flag policy, barring contestants from displaying flags other than that of the nation they represent, but loosening restrictions on the flags audience members can display. Eurovision explained that it aimed to "strike a balance to ensure that our audiences and artists can express their enthusiasm and identities, (while providing) more clarity for the delegations when it comes to official spaces". "I think the decision was mostly inspired by the references to Palestine last year," Vuletic said. Trump effect? Wilken meanwhile warned that the new policy could "backfire a little bit", with the ban on contestants waving Pride flags, for instance, possibly read as part of "the war on woke". Carniel agreed, pointing out that there had been "a bit of a backlash against so-called identity politics at the song contest, and criticism of the extent to which Eurovision has really leaned into queer fandom". By barring contestants from waving Pride flags or other symbols supporting LGBTQ rights, the organisers might "oddly be trying to bring more people in" by emphasising that the contest "is not an exclusively queer event". The United States may not be part of the contest, but experts said President Donald Trump's anti-diversity messaging could energise efforts by conservative forces in Europe eager to rid Eurovision of its LGBTQ-friendly identity. At the same time, the Trump administration's attacks on European countries could strengthen the contest's focus on forging a common European identity, Carniel suggested. © 2025 AFP
