Can bees Can bees distinguish smells distinguish smells

inquiryinquiry

What is What is adaptive adaptive

advantage advantage scent scent

discrimination?discrimination?

•Bees cannot recognize Bees cannot recognize peppermint scentpeppermint scent

•Bees cannot recognize Bees cannot recognize anise scentanise scent

•Bees cannot recognize Bees cannot recognize lemon scentlemon scent

HypothesesHypotheses

ProtocolProtocol• Train bees to come to a dish of Train bees to come to a dish of

25% sugar water scented with 25% sugar water scented with anise oil located in a boxanise oil located in a box

• Place box with scented syrup in a Place box with scented syrup in a row of boxes containing empty row of boxes containing empty dishesdishes

Data collectionData collection

• Use new boxes and clean dishes Use new boxes and clean dishes to be certain that scent left by to be certain that scent left by visiting bees is not a factorvisiting bees is not a factor

• Count the bees that enter each Count the bees that enter each box for 10 minutesbox for 10 minutes

• Have students repeat the Have students repeat the experiment 3 for each scent they experiment 3 for each scent they want to testwant to test

Reporting findingsReporting findings

• Plot results for each trial as a bar Plot results for each trial as a bar chart comparing visits to scent chart comparing visits to scent laden boxes with visits to laden boxes with visits to unscented boxesunscented boxes

• Ask students what the results Ask students what the results suggest about their hypothesissuggest about their hypothesis

• Encourage students to speculate Encourage students to speculate about why honey bees need scent about why honey bees need scent recognition capabilitiesrecognition capabilities

ConclusionsConclusions• Bees can recognize all three Bees can recognize all three

scents testedscents tested

• This test will not quantify This test will not quantify scent recognition ability, but scent recognition ability, but bees sense of smell is much bees sense of smell is much more sensitive than the more sensitive than the human nosehuman nose