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Date: | Thu, 8 Dec 2022 13:01:21 -0500 |
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> Bees have been shown to choose flower/plants based on need (choose their medicine).
> But is the really correct?
I seriously doubt it. Honey bees can evaluate sugar content and determine the relative usefulness of a nectar source, but I have not seen much evidence they can distinguish other values such as protein or medicinal content.
Further, they seem to be highly influenced by attractants such as odor and possibly chemicals such as caffeine, ethanol, nicotine, etc. This raises the question whether a subject "chooses" a drug, or involuntarily consumes it because of the chemical action.
PLB
See: Jones, P., & Agrawal, A. A. (2022). Caffeine and ethanol in nectar interact with flower color impacting bumblebee behavior. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76(7), 1-11.
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