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Bats And Tequila: A Once Boo-tiful Relationship Cursed By Growing Demands

The Mexican long-tongued bat is one of the species that pollinates agave, but its ecosystem is being disrupted by large-scale, cheaper methods of making tequila. Merlin Tuttle/Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation hide caption

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Merlin Tuttle/Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation

The Salt

Bats And Tequila: A Once Boo-tiful Relationship Cursed By Growing Demands

October 29, 2017 • As the tequila industry surges, the early harvesting and cloning of agave are disrupting the ecosystem of some species — leading some groups to go to bat for the hardworking nighttime pollinators.

Bats And Tequila: A Once Boo-tiful Relationship Cursed By Growing Demands

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Artificial Light Deters Nocturnal Pollinators, Study Suggests

A streetlight illuminates a rural footpath. Andy Feltham / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm hide caption

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Andy Feltham / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

The Two-Way

Artificial Light Deters Nocturnal Pollinators, Study Suggests

August 3, 2017 • Scientists in Switzerland used mobile streetlamps to light up patches of cabbage thistle. They found that nocturnal pollinators, such as beetles and flies, mostly stayed away.

Beautiful Huntresses: Scientists Explain Why Mantises Evolved To Resemble Orchids

Researchers find that female orchid mantises evolved to increase their predatory abilities. N. A. hide caption

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The Two-Way

Beautiful Huntresses: Scientists Explain Why Mantises Evolved To Resemble Orchids

December 13, 2016 • Typically, when insect females evolve to become larger than males, it's in order to produce more offspring. But female orchid mantises evolved to look like flowers for a sinister reason: to hunt prey.

WATCH: The Secret Buzz Only Bumblebees Know To Unlock Our Favorite Crops

A bumblebee grooms her fur — and her tongue — to get at the pollen grains she vibrated free from the anthers. Josh Cassidy/KQED hide caption

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Josh Cassidy/KQED

The Salt

WATCH: The Secret Buzz Only Bumblebees Know To Unlock Our Favorite Crops

KQED

July 19, 2016 • Some plants will release their pollen only to bees that buzz in just the right way. It's a risky strategy — and it's critical to human agriculture, from tomatoes to blueberries.

Is Nutritious Food In Peril, Along With Pollinators?

A bumblebee gathers pollen from a cherry blossom in a garden outside Moscow. Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images

The Salt

Is Nutritious Food In Peril, Along With Pollinators?

March 1, 2016 • A U.N.-sponsored report warns that disappearing pollinators, such as bees, could cut production of healthful foods like fruits and nuts. But the degree of damage is mostly a matter of speculation.

Report: More Pollinator Species In Jeopardy, Threatening World Food Supply

A bumblebee on rosemary blooms on a residential property in Langley, Wash. Dean Fosdick/AP hide caption

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Dean Fosdick/AP

The Two-Way

Report: More Pollinator Species In Jeopardy, Threatening World Food Supply

February 26, 2016 • About 40 percent of invertebrate pollinator species such as bees and butterflies are facing extinction, according to the global assessment.

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