Fred Chase inquired:

>Is there any evidence from scientific research or practical
>experience that bees have memory?
>
>If I upset them by my work in the hive and they display that
>anger by their buzzing or stinging will they remember this
>the next day and be the more likely to be angry again?
>
>What about two hours later or one hour later?  In other words,
>if they do possess memory how long do their memories last?

   I worked extensively with two of my uncles in large scale beekeeping
operations.  Both of them had the same genetic stock.  One of the uncles
(Clarence) was an artist in his work and handled the colonies with
exceptional care.  His bees were always very tame; working them was a
pleasure.

   The other uncle (Leo) was very rough in his handling of colonies.  When
we came into one of his yards, the bees came out to meet us.

   How long do they remember?  I know some individuals can remember the
location of a good food source for well more than a week.

                                                        Adrian

Adrian M. Wenner                    (805) 963-8508 (home phone)
967 Garcia Road                     (805) 893-8062  (UCSB FAX)
Santa Barbara, CA  93106

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*
*     "I cannot give any scientist of any age better advice than this:  The
intensity
*  of the conviction that a hypothesis is true has no bearing on whether it
is true
*  or not."
*                                                           Peter Medawar
(1979)
*
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