Caffeine improves learning and memory in honeybees, as well as people, and the buzzing insects seek out flowering plants that have caffeinated nectar, new research shows.
Scientists from the University of Sussex have determined up to 55 percent of flowering plants have caffeinated nectar and bees flock to them like office workers to Starbucks,
The New York Times reports.
Lead researcher Margaret J. Couvillon reported in the journal Current Biology that caffeinated bees are more likely to communicate with the rest of the hive about the sources of nectar they’ve found by shaking their abdomens in what is called the “waggle dance.”
The bees that sipped high-test nectar were more likely to dance than those who were drinking decaf — an indication of how much sugar and calories the nectar contained.
But caffeine doesn’t seem to offer much to the bees other than a little buzz. That means they might stick to caffeine-laced nectar and miss out on other sources that are as good or better, Couvillon said.
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