A parasitic insect called a zombie fly takes over a bee’s body. The resulting “zombee” acts strangely, flying around at night and walking in circles until it dies. This isn’t the plot of a horror movie. It’s a real problem that’s affecting honeybees.
A group called ZomBee Watch is tracking bees infected by the zombie fly. Anyone can report strange bee behavior, which scientists then verify. So far, infected bees have been found in several states, including California and New York.
“One of the concerns is that honeybee hives are failing at a much higher rate than in previous years,” says John Hafernik. He’s a biologist at San Francisco State University and one of the ZomBee Watch founders. “We’re trying to figure out if these flies are part of the reason.”