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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: Citizen Sci Projects - ZomBees and More!

    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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      Citizen Sci Projects - ZomBees and More! 2022-10-31 October and November are the perfect months to be on the lookout for zombees. Visit the <a href="https://blog.scista...
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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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