They prefer 'enhanced' pollen

Feb 17, 2010 07:30 GMT  ·  By

Scientists have recently determined that bees, like humans, also have a weak spot for addiction, especially when it comes to coffee and cigarettes. The investigation revealed that, when faced with a choice, bees always preferred pollen that was naturally “spiced up” with either nicotine or caffeine, or both. According to the scientists, bees most likely got a “buzz” from this, which means that some plants may have learned how to produce these substances in order to keep the insects coming back for more, LiveScience reports.

“This could be an evolutionary development intended, as in humans, to make the bee addicted,” explains University of Haifa researchers Ido Izhaki, who was involved in the new study. He explains that bees play a crucial part in the pollination process of plants, which sees new generations being produced year after year. As such, vegetation that manages to attract most insects is the most likely to pass on its genes further. As a direct result of this, many plants have begun secreting various extra substances in their nectar, in hopes of increasing the number of bees and butterflies visiting them.

Pollination is a fairly straightforward process, researchers explain. As the bee, or other flying insect, is feasting on the pollen inside a flower, its hairy body rubs against structures holding pollen, the reproductive cells that plants use. When they move to other plants, bees or butterflies carry pollen inside the second plant, where the female reproductive parts pick them up, and complete pollination. In spite of its simplicity, this process is believed to have been one of the most important to have ever appeared in history, and it may have contributed considerably to life developing on Earth.

In a series of lab experiments, the scientists artificially enhanced nectar with synthetic nicotine and caffeine, and then watched the behavior of bees when they came in contact with it. They noticed that the insects only appeared to be interested in the stuff when it existed in plants in concentrations similar to the ones in nature. This means that they may only be interested in the chemicals as a preference, and not necessarily an addiction. However, the group says that more work will be conducted in determining whether these creatures can indeed become addicted or not.