More on anesthetics:

Changes in the Behaviour of Honey-Bees Following Their Recovery from Anaesthesia

C. R. RIBBANDS, Bee Research Department, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden

1. Chloroform anaesthesia did not impair the memory, change the foraging behaviour, or reduce the longevity of the treated bees; chloroform is therefore a satisfactory anaesthetic for use in experiments on bee behaviour.

2. Carbon dioxide anaesthesia did not impair the memory of treated bees, but it did induce a permanent change in their behaviour. Their pollen-collecting tendencies were either eliminated or suffered very marked reduction. Experiments with foraging bees of known age indicated that the carbon dioxide treatments had no direct effect on longevity. 


3. The effects of nitrogen anaesthesia were similar to those obtained with carbon dioxide. The factor common to both treatments is oxygen lack.


Submitted on January 20, 1950

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