What are zombie bees?
Zombie bees, or zombees, are honey bees infected by a parasite that causes the bees to fly at night and lurch about erratically until they die. Experts worry that the parasite, created when parasitic flies lay eggs inside living bees, could undermine the pollination of crops. Zombie bees were first discovered in California in 2008, but they were reported this week in Washington state. They have also been reported in Oregon and South Dakota. Parasitic flies can not infect humans.
How many American zoos have pandas?
Four U.S. zoos have pandas: Washington’s National Zoo, San Diego, Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta. There are now 300 pandas living in captivity in more than a dozen countries. In 2004, Chinese officials estimated that there were about 1,600 pandas living in the wild in China. China gave the first panda to the U.S. in 1972, after President Richard M. Nixon visited the country and first lady Pat Nixon mentioned how much she liked the bears. The first panda in the U.S. was at the National Zoo.
Why does everyone in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, flush their toilets at the same time?
Worn pipes and a water shortage left the city’s aging sanitation system clogged. To flush the sewers, city officials asked all residents to simultaneously flush their toilets at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. City officials had to assure some residents that they could flush their toilets at other times because some thought the order meant they could flush only on Mondays and Thursdays.
