Self-medicating bees help hives

Honey bees will self-medicate when their colony is infected with a harmful fungus by bringing in more antifungal plants and resins, researchers at N.C. State Univ. found. Domesticated honey bees use propolis -- a mixture of plant resins and wax -- to seal cracks and gaps in hives. But when faced with a fungal threat, bees bring in 45% more of the mixture, which has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Beekeepers, not recognizing the value of the