3 ms·
How do you go about "teaching European honey bees new, complex behaviors"?
by WoodenChair 11y ago
How do you go about "teaching European honey bees new, complex behaviors"?
- otoburb 11y agoThat's exactly what I'm wondering - whether there have been any instances of deliberate human-caused epigenetic changes in bees. In light of @ansible's sister comment that worker bees only live a few months, teaching or learning any new behaviour, let alone one as complex as recognizing and swarming an intruder to death, seems to be even more unlikely.
- Qworg 11y agoBees are a eusocial organism. While individual bees are dumb/unable to understand their actions, as a whole, bees are remarkably intelligent. Bees already swarm and kill intruders, but simply lack the understanding of how to bake the wasps. I think a cross breeding program may take care of that issue - but hybridization can bring other problems (see African bees mixing with European).