It was recently discovered that exposure to small concentrations of the essential oils of sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) or pignut [Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit] can be used to control aphids. What is not known is whether these oils also influence honeybee behavior. Experiments using both harnessed and free-flying foragers at concentrations used to control aphids showed that bees readily...

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is widely cultivated for its edible, strongly-flavored leaves, fruits, seeds and medicinal uses. As the wild and cultivated plants are influenced by environmental stresses, the effects of salt (25, 50 and 75 mM NaCl), nitrogen and iron deficiency (0 N, 0.5 N of Hoagland’s solution, 0 Fe and 0.5 Fe of Hoagland’s solution), 2°C cold (2, 3 and 4 h) and drought (3,...