http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/4972/bee-sociality-defends-against-deadly-parasites?page=0%2C0

Article discusses study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that includes the paragraph:

"To test the bacteria's effects, the scientists separated and raised worker bee pupae in three groups. The first was fed their regular diet of faeces from their nest mates, the second was fed the same type of faeces - but artificially cultivated - and the third was fed sugar water. Separating those fed the gut bacteria of their nest mates from those fed the same gut bacteria from external sources allowed the researchers to also test the influence of sociality in ensuring protection against parasites."

I thought bees had evolved behaviours that prevented the transfer of fecel material by mouth. This article seems to imply that is not always the case. To pooh-pooh or not to pooh-pooh?  That is my question. Ted

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