A bumble bee foraging on lavender. Photo taken by Prof Francis Ratnieks A honey bee foraging on lavender. Photo taken by Prof Francis Ratnieks.
As abundant and widespread bees, it is common to see both bumble bees and honey bees foraging on the same flower species during the summer, whether in Britain or many other countries.
Yet researchers at the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex, show that these two different bees dominate on different flower species and have found out why.
By studying 22 flower species in southern England and analysing the behaviour of more than 1000 bees, they found that ‘energy efficiency’ is a key factor when it comes to mediating competition.
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IMAGE: A honey bee on a lavender plant, one of the species studied in the research view more
Credit: Professor Francis Ratnieks, University of Sussex
As abundant and widespread bees, it is common to see both bumble bees and honey bees foraging on the same flower species during the summer, whether in Britain or many other countries.
Yet researchers at the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex, show that these two different bees dominate on different flower species and have found out why.
By studying 22 flower species in southern England and analysing the behaviour of more than 1000 bees, they found that energy efficiency is a key factor when it comes to mediating competition.