Researchers have uncovered some fascinating facts about the foraging behavior of honeybees and bumblebees. While honeybees tend to stick to their chosen floral patches, bumblebees prefer to explore new areas. Though both insects are important pollinators for many crops and wild plants, they exhibit distinct differences in their behavior.
Honeybees and bumblebees collect pollen and nectar, transferring them from flower to flower, which aids in the reproduction and genetic diversity of plants. Visually, honeybees are smaller, slimmer, and less hairy compared to bumblebees, which are larger, rounder, and fluffier. Honeybees live in well-organized colonies of up to 60,000 individuals, while bumblebees form smaller colonies of about 400 and do not store honey.
The latest study led by ecologist Johanna Brune revealed that these insects also exhibit different behaviors when it comes to pollen collection. Observations showed that 76% of honeybees demonstrated loyalty to their chosen patches of alfalfa flowers, regularly returning to the same spots to gather more pollen and nectar. In contrast, only 47% of bumblebees returned to the same floral areas, indicating they are more nomadic in their foraging habits.
Interestingly, the size of the floral patch plays a crucial role in the behavior of these insects. Bumblebees showed a preference for larger floral areas, suggesting that the abundance and diversity of flowers influence their choices. On the other hand, honeybees remained indifferent to the size of the floral patches, sticking to their selected areas regardless of the size of the blooming territory.
The loyalty of an animal or insect to a specific location is linked to its strong spatial memory, allowing it to navigate complex landscapes and repeatedly return to familiar spots. Researchers found that both honeybees and bumblebees possess the ability to return to the same locations. According to scientists, this attachment to specific choices may be tied to the behavioral differences between these insects.
As noted by Earth magazine, bumblebees have a more exploratory nature and tend to seek out a variety of food sources. They often visit more than one type of flower to find more beneficial or diverse resources. Additionally, bumblebees rely on individual exploration. In contrast, honeybees have a complex communication system. Through their “waggle dance,” they can share the locations of valuable resources with their hive mates. Ms. Brune explains that this precision in honeybee behavior indicates a higher degree of risk avoidance. Thus, their loyalty to chosen foraging sites can be understood as a strategy to minimize potential encounters with predators and conserve energy and resources.
The conclusions drawn from this research extend beyond the distinct behaviors of these two insect species. A better understanding of the factors influencing floral patch selection can provide beekeepers, farmers, and biologists with the knowledge needed to better support pollinator health. Ultimately, this will ensure successful crop pollination. Researchers suggest that the greater accuracy of honeybees may benefit agriculture by providing more consistent and effective pollination. However, the lower accuracy of bumblebees could enhance gene flow among plant populations by transferring pollen over greater distances, potentially increasing genetic diversity and adaptation.
The differing foraging behaviors of bees and bumblebees can significantly impact the plant world. The quality of pollen, along with its quantity and distance, affects the genetic variations in plants. Therefore, this research could be significant for both pollination and the evolution of vegetation. However, researchers emphasize the need for further observations to understand how the foraging behavior of bees and bumblebees depends on the type of flowers, landscapes, and environmental conditions.