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A citizen science project tracking the honey bee parasite Apocephalus borealis
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  • What are Zombie Bees?

    They are honey bees that have been parasitized by the Zombie Fly Apocephalus borealis. Fly-parasitized honey bees become "ZomBees" showing the "zombie-like behavior" of leaving their hives at night on "a flight of the living dead." Read our discovery paper

    Zombie Fly laying eggs inside a Honey Bee Photo by Christopher Quock

    The fly is native to most of North America. It has expanded its host range to include the non-native honey bee, the most important pollinator of agricultural crops. Read more

  • Flash: Global Risk of Invasion of the Zombie Fly

    The map uses data from citizen scientists to document localities where the Zombie Fly is infecting honey bees.
    View detailed ZomBee watch map

  • Become a ZomBee hunter

    Help us find out where in North America the Zombie Fly is infecting honey bees. Tutorial

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    Latest news 

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      Global Risk of Invasion of the Zombie Fly 2021-12-21 Using data from ZomBee Watch, museum records and ecological modelling scientists from the University of Bristol, San ...
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      Be on the Alert for ZomBees! 2021-08-29 We're coming into the time of the year when the honey bees are most likely to be parasitized by the zombie fly.&nbsp;...
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      ZomBee Watch Honored for 2019 2019-12-29 &nbsp;ZomBee Watch has been listed as one of the top Citizen Science Projects for 2019 by <a href="https://blog.scist...
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      Back to School with ZomBee Watch 2019-08-25 SciStarter has included ZomBee Watch in its list of 10 back-to-school citizen science projects.&nbsp; <a href="https:...
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      ZomBee Watch at Your AZ Library 2019-03-08 ZomBee Watch is one of five citizen science programs partnering with the Institute for Museum and Library Services, t...
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      SciStarter Promotes ZomBee Watch 2018-10-20 SciStarter, the premier citizen science website, is highlighting ZomBee Watch in their <a href="https://blog.scistart...
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      Science Cheerleaders Hand Out ZomBee Watch Kits 2018-06-30 SciStarter and the Science Cheerleaders handed out ZomBee-Watch and Meet-Your-Mites kits at the Cambridge Science Fes...
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      ZomBee Watch featured in SparkDialog Podcast 2017-10-24 Listen to SparkDialog's Dr. Elizabeth Fernandez interview...
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      Sandwich, MA Students Hunt ZomBees 2017-05-29 Seventh ...
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      Kids' Zombee Projects Win Awards 2017-03-28 The JP2 Rockslides from Zimmerman MN won first in their division and third overall in the MN 2017 State Robotics Tour...
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      ZomBeeWatch featured by Discover Magazine 2017-02-09 Congratulations to Ayla Fudala of the Planet Bee Foundation!&nbsp; Her blog on ZomBee Watch and Planet Bee’s K-12 out...
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      ZomBees in the News! 2016-11-01 In the last few days, ZomBee Watch has received considerable media coverage.&nbsp; Citizen scientist Claire Kimmel's ...
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      First Cases from Nova Scotia, ME & NC 2016-10-21 Citizen scientists have discovered the first cases of honey bees infected by the zombie fly Apocephalus borealis i...
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      New Cases of Zombie Bees from Canada 2016-08-25 Two new cases of honey bees infected by the zombie fly Apocephalus borealis have been confirmed from Canada.&n...
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      Beekeeper Sarah Wallbank on CBC 2016-08-24 Watch ...
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      ZomBee Watch Featured on BNN Canada 2016-08-18 ZomBee watch was featured on BNN TV in Canada.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.bnn.ca/video/oh-great-parasitic-flies-just-a...
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      First ZomBees from Canada 2016-08-16 The first honey bees fr...
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      Second Record from Virginia 2016-07-20 A second record of Apocephalus borealis parasitizing honey bees has been confirmed from Virginia, this time fr...
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      Help needed finding zombie bees in NC 2016-07-08 Read <a href="...
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      Lynn Berry Interviewed About his Discovery 2016-06-25 Watch "Zombie bees" showing up in Henry ...
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      Mysterious 'Zombie Bee' Scourge Reaches Southern US 2016-06-23 Check out the <a href="http://http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mysterious-zombie-bee-scourge-reaches-southern-us-40...
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      First ZomBee from Virginia 2016-06-22 <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-fa...
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      ZomBee Watch on Southern CA Public Radio 2016-02-29 Check out the <a href="http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2016/02/29/46785/a-california-scientist-is-tracking-a-pa...
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      ZomBee Watch featured in NY Times Article 2016-02-25 ZomBee Watch is featured in a February 25, 2016 article in the New York Times written by Nicholas St. Fleur.&nbsp; <a...
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      More East Coast Coverage for ZomBee Watch 2016-02-01 Check the new articles about ZomBee Watch on the news website <a href="http://www.citylab.com/weather/2016/02/zombie-...
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      ZomBee Watch a Top 10 Project for 2015 2016-01-08 All of us at ZomBee Watch are proud that ZomBee Watch has been named to <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/ci...
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      More Media Coverage of ZomBee Watch 2015-10-12 Nature World Revi...
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      Citizen Scientists featured in AP Story 2015-10-09 Citizen scientists Joe Naughton and Robert MacKimmie are featured in a video...
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      A Second Record of ZomBees from NY 2015-09-28 Harold Hahn from Kingston, New York has recorded the second confirmed record of Apocephalus borealis infecting...
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      First ZomBee from New York State 2015-09-01 ZomBee Watch participant Joseph Naughton has discovered the first New York State honey bee parasitized by The zombie ...
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      'Zombees' put beekeepers on edge 2015-05-25 Check out this article in the <a href="http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/flight-of-the-living-dead-zombees-pu...
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      Honey Bee Colony Die-Offs Continue 2015-05-14 The Bee Informed Partnership ...
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      ZomBee Watch Keynote at Ecofest 2015-04-15 ZomBee Watch Director John Hafernik will deliver the keynote address at this year's EcoFest in Pacifica, California. ...
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      Zombees-Front Page, Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviw 2014-11-10 Check out Megha Satyanarayana's <a href="http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/7084643-74/bees-bee-fly#axzz3IggkBbCO...
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      ZomBees Discovered in Pennsylvania 2014-10-31 It's not a Halloween prank!&nbsp; Beekeeper and ZomBee Watch citizen scientist Sherry Grenzberg has discovered honey ...
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      ZomBee Watch on Science Friday 2014-10-28 Check out the new video "Invasion of the Zombees: A Bee Horror Film" on the Science Friday <a href="http://www.scienc...
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      ZomBee Watch Lecture in Los Angeles 2014-09-09 Join ZomBee Watch's John Hafernik for a lecture at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's <a href="http:/...
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      CBS TV San Diego covers ZomBee Watch 2014-08-06 Listen to Shawn Styles of KF...
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      Emmy for ZomBee Watch Video 2014-06-18 Congratulations to KQED's Josh Cassidy, winner of a 2014 northern California Emmy Award for his video <a href="http:/...
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      AP Video Features ZomBee Watch 2014-05-06 On May 5, the Associated Press&nbsp; released a video story "Zombees" present new threat to hive activity. It ...
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      WAMU's Animal House features ZomBee Watch 2014-04-20 Listen to Sam Litzinger interview ZomBee Watch's John ...
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      Vermont Ag to sample for ZomBees 2014-01-28 Zombie bees are among the concerns of Vermont beekeepers.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/28/zom...
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      ZomBees, a Top 2013 Science Story 2013-12-20 The video, "ZomBees:Flight of the Living Dead" is&nbsp;featured...
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      New ZomBee Watch Video 2013-10-31 KQED San Francisco's PBS channel has produced a new video about ZomBees and ZomBee Watch entitled ZomBees: Flight ...
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      Zombie Fly Maggots in Vermont Bees 2013-10-09 This week, biologists confirmed the presence in Burlington of so-called 'ZomBees' -- hive-dwellers whose brains have ...
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      ZomBees discovered in the Eastern U.S. 2013-10-08 Apocephalus borealis pupae and adults have been confi...
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      Zombie flies detected in Belgium 2013-09-14 Molecular assays detected Apocephalus borealis in 31% of a sample of 363 honey bee hive...
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      Parasitic Phorid flies confirmed in Washington 2013-08-07 The first Apocephalus borealis of the season emerged over the weekend from honey bees collected in the Lynnwood Washi...
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      ZomBees make NBC News' top 10 list of zombie animals! 2013-06-29 Zombie bees: A parasitic fly known as Apocephalus borealis can inject its eggs into a honeybee's abdomen, where the f...
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      Google Science Fair 2013 Hangout On Air with "The ZomBee Hunter," Professor John Hafernik 2013-02-20 Want to become a "ZomBee hunter"? An unexpected observation led Professor John Hafernik to a new honey bee parasite, ...
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      Awesome video of a Zombie Fly larvae. 2012-10-07 This is a macro video of a zombie bee larvae from a captured honey bee that was infected. It took the larva about 2 w...
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      More ZomBee's found in WA! 2012-10-12 University Place man finds a grisly 'zombie bee'. Read more
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      Citizen Science in the classroom. WA 5th graders tracking the Zombie Fly. 2012-10-30 Cougar Ridge students study zombees to hunt honeybee killer. Read more
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      Tracking ZomBee's for your Halloween Citizen Science. 2012-10-28 Halloween Tricks With a Science Twist from “Citizen Sci” — a New PLOS Blog. Check it o...
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      Zombie bees, not a Halloween hoax 2012-10-30 Halloween ZomBee Watch coverage! Check it out!
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      Watch out for zom-bees, a real life sci-fi story 2012-10-24 ZomBee Watch was featured in the Toronto Star today, check out story and keep spreading the word about Zombie Fly par...
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      Zombee's Found in OR 2012-10-12 Ashland beekeeper stumbles upon Zombees. Check it out
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      Zombee Watch and Citizen Science in the Pacific Standard 2012-10-10 More great coverage on ZomBee Watch citizen science from Pacific Standard Magazine. Re...
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      Zombee Watch in the Daily Beast 2012-10-11 Great coverage of ZomBee Watch from The Daily Beast. Check it out!
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      Who’s in Charge Inside Your Head? 2012-10-06 NY Times discussing Zombie like behavior of Apocephalus borealis parasitized honey bees. <a href="http://nyti.ms/ZoxS...
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      Zombee Watch on CBC Radio 2012-10-01 Dr. John Hafernik talks with CBC Radio in Calgary about the Zombee impact on Canadian bees. <a href="http://bit.ly/XY...
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      Dying 'Zombie bees' impacting OR honey bees 2012-09-26 More Zombee attention in Oregon ... some good television reportage. Read more...
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      Zombee Watch in the NY Times 2012-09-29 Zombees made The New York Times ... Check it out
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      NBC San Diego Reporting on Zombee Watch 2012-09-25 NBC San Diego reporting on ZomBee Watch research and spreading news of our work in Southern California. <a href="http...
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      Zombee's Found in WA 2012-09-23 The first confirmed case of "zombie bees" in Washington state has been found by a Kent beekeeper. <a href="http://bit...
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      Zombee Watch in NatGeo 2012-09-12 Great news article in National Geographic about ZomBee Watch research. Read more
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      Zombee Watch in the ABJ 2012-09-07 ZomBeeWatch.org team is outfitting infected honeybees with tiny radio trackers to learn more about parasitized honeyb...
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      OPB EarthFix 2012-09-04 Something very important to the growing recognition that the Phorid fly, Apocephalus borealis, is a problem for bees ...
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      Zombee Watch in the Daily Mail 2012-09-07 ZomBee Watch Research received great press coverage from the Daily Mail. Beekeepers in the UK and across Europe are n...
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      Kelly Bee Editor's Note 2012-09-28 Zombee Watch in The Walter T. Kelley Co., LLC Editor's Note. <a href="https://www.kelleybees.com/Blog/2/Bee-Havior/30...
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      Scientific American Article 2012-08-21 A new blog about ZomBee Watch by Mariette DiChristina, Editor and Chief of Scientific American. <a href="http://bit.l...
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      Zombee Watch Sampling at the SF Chronicle 2012-08-09 An article about our sampling of the hives at the S.F Chronicle. Read more
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      The need for Citizen Scientist Zombee Watch hunters 2012-08-02 An article about the need for Citizen Scientist Zombee Watch hunters, by Kayla Figard, in the San Francisco Examiner....
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      Serendipity, ZomBees and Citizen Science, August 3, 2012: 2012-08-03 Dr. John Hafernik's HuffPost Blog Post - Serendipity, ZomBees and Citizen Science, August 3, 2012.&nbsp;<a href="http...
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      The importance of "Citizen Scientists" submitting data 2012-07-29 Word is getting out, and many area newspapers are running articles sharing the importance of "Citizen Scientists" sub...
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      Zombee Watch In Scientific American 2012-07-31 A short article on ZomBee Watch in Scientific American. Read here
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      Dr. Hafernik discussing Zombie Fly on KCBS 2012-07-27 ZomBee Watch Director, Dr. John Hafernik on San Francisco CBS News. <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/7...
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      Presentation on Zombee Watch at Cal Academy 2012-07-12 San Francisco State University biology professor John Hafernik discussed his recent discovery of parasitism in honeyb...

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