Are bees intelligent beings?

The mind of bees: all to be discovered

Bees are little creatures that never cease to surprise us. The honey bee or Apis mellifera is the most widespread species in the world and for this reason the most studied and observed by biologists.

These animals (like wasps) belong to the category of hymenoptera . The bee boasts a truly superior intelligence compared to that of other insects. The mind of bees is very developed and this factor depends on a strong evolutionary development over time.

According to some hypotheses, the brains of the hymenoptera in general have adapted to the need to make quick decisions during the flight. All this made the processing of visual information fast and very insightful. Bees are intelligent beings.

Do bees recognize colors and shapes?

According to some studies, the brain of bees is able to assimilate and process even slightly more complex thoughts. Recall that we are talking about insects possessing a neuronal structure that is anatomically different from the human brain. For this reason, the results of understanding such as the ones we are about to tell you are really significant for simple insects.

Studies have shown that every bee is capable of real mathematical calculations ! It seems that they are able to distinguish the concept of "zero" and to assimilate and associate symbols and numbers. It is no coincidence that beekeepers insert special symbols on the hives since it seems to help bees a lot with orientation.

The symbols that beekeepers insert are concave and non-convex figures. For example, bees can vividly recognize an X but not a square or a triangle.

Colors are also essential for bees. When there are hives arranged next to each other, it is also very important to paint them differently. In this way it is possible to help the bees to orient themselves and to distinguish their home.

The colors that bees perceive are: yellow, bluish green, blue and ultraviolet (invisible to us humans). The only color they just can't see is red. Never paint hives in this color or similar shades.

If a bee were to return to the wrong hive, that would be trouble! If it were a worker bee with a nice booty of nectar and pollen, there would be no major problems. Bees love to cooperate and would gladly accept other workforce.

In the case of a queen bee returning from a nuptial or orientation flight, the situation would be very different. In this case, accessing the wrong hive would really be a big danger ... if the queen entered the wrong hive she would surely be killed.

Bees can memorize faces

Among the most amazing skills we have learned about bees, there is certainly their ability to recognize faces. They are able to assimilate certain colors and shapes and for this reason, they are also able to recognize the human face!

This does not mean that bees know how to distinguish your face from that of another person but they are simply able to memorize its structure and understand that that pattern of shapes is linked to the face of a human being.

The extraordinary abilities of bees

The mental abilities of bees are much more developed than those of other insects. In addition to having more complex motor skills, bees have a truly extraordinary form of intelligence. Biologists claim that these insects can learn from their mistakes and communicate with the rest of the swarm in a truly amazing way.

The members of the bee families are numerous and yet, the communication language they have to transfer information is really efficient. Bees have refined social skills.

The way they use to communicate with the rest of the colony is a symbolic language, a sort of dance to eight with which they signal to their companions the routes to follow and the presence of flowers full of pollen.

Regardless of neuronal density, the Apis mellifera breed and their peers are capable of extremely elaborate tasks and learning complex gestures.

Bees are very intelligent beings. A study conducted at a well-known university in London has shown how some hymenoptera managed to move a ball inside a hole to get food.

The insects understood that by inserting the ball there they would obtain a reward in the form of food, for this reason they then shared the information with other insects of the same family inserted later. All this demonstrates the high social learning that these insects possess.

Buy queen bees, cores and bee packs

If your passion for beekeeping has brought you this far, if you are a beekeeper and you need bees for your farm, choose Apicoltura Laterza! We take care of the production and sale of queen bees of breed Buckfast and Ligustica ! In addition, you can also order bee cores on 5 frames , bee packs and swarms.

Our breeding also deals with the production of the highest quality honey.

We ship throughout Italy and throughout Europe! Buy now on the site www.apicolturalaterza.it