Bee Navigation Revealed

“We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers, and dress like this!” This famous line of Barry B. Benson from the Bee Movie helped us change everything we think about bees. The story’s morale proves that even the smallest and seemingly insignificant creature can make one heck of a difference this world. However, there’s another breakthrough discovery that scientists have discovered about bees. Far from its 2007 movie adaptation when those bees navigated like crazy, these social insects that live in hives actually navigate through a hit and miss kind of maneuvering. Bees can fly at about 15mph, roughly 24kph but they actually go from one flower to another, revisiting it many times, before moving on to the next.

In an article from the Huffington post, “a team of researchers from Mary Queen University in London outfitted tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) with miniscule harmonic radio sensors and plastic number tags. They trained the bees to feed on artificial flowers that offered a perch and a sugar solution in the center. The colony’s nest box, positioned in a large field on a British estate, was then situated near five of these artificial flowers. The flowers were arranged in a pentagon shape, with each one 50 meters from the next, which is many times the distance a bumblebee can see. That arrangement prevented the subjects from following each other or spotting the next flower. The “flowers” were watched by motion-sensing video cameras to capture each bee’s feeding. The researchers also chose to complete the experiment in October, when local flowers would have faded and not tempt the bees away from the experimental ones.”

The outcome of the study shows that the routes of the bees were initially longer and more tedious, travelling from one empty flower to another, even revisiting these flowers a couple of times, yet they learned to refine their travel and modify their routes after gaining the exposure and experience. In effect, these bees were able to reduce their flight distance compared to how they first began.

According to the same article, “The learning appeared to be primarily through trial and error. “Each time a bee tried a new route it increased its probability of re-using the new route if it was shorter than the shortest route it had tried before. Otherwise, the new route was abandoned and another route was tested.”

Whether it’s a matter of heuristics or not, it just proves one point: Bee navigation is still complex because they are able to gain experience from flight, thereby decreasing their senseless time buzzing through the air. These findings may lead to a new cognitive laurel for these small social insects, something that we thought only larger-brained mammals are capable of.

You have read this article Bee / bee navigate / bee navigation / bee navigation revealed / Bees / insects / navigating bee / navigating bee revealed / navigating insects with the title insects. You can bookmark this page URL https://memoirsofsicelikmanesh.blogspot.com/2012/09/bee-navigation-revealed.html. Thanks!

Insects and Arachnids as Pets

When talking about exotic pets, insects and arachnids are among the most often mentioned, with spiders generally at the top of most “most exotic pets” lists.

Often kept in enclosures, insects and spiders are relatively easy to keep as pets, not demanding when it comes to space, generally not all that picky when it comes to food, as well as not necessarily needy when regular baths or frequent clean up is being talked about.

Insects and spiders also don’t require that much interaction or attention from owners, unlike cats or dogs. In fact, they’re known to generally fair better without any socialization at all.

But pet insects and spiders also have their own list of particulars, a roster which pet lovers have to think long and hard about before going on an impulse and bringing them home.

Here are some exotic pet facts worth knowing about, before getting your first pet insect or arachnid.

Finding the Right One

For those looking in to keep insects or spiders as pets, specialty pet shops often suggest a “start small” approach, recommending insect or spider species which are less dangerous and/or not so temperamental to keep.

Ant farms are often suggested, especially for kids, given how easy they are to maintain. An escaped colony, though, is a home safety risk, which means that owners have to make sure ants don’t break out from enclosures.

Stick and/or leaf insects are also often recommended, though these require degrees of delicacy with their care. The hissing cockroach is also popular as an “entry level” exotic pet, given that they are pretty docile and large enough for an owner to handle.

Certain types of tarantulas are also often suggested, like the Costa Rican Zebra, the Mexican Redleg and the Chilean rose. These arachnids are venomous, but their venom-factor is somewhat similar to the venom of bees.

If one is not all that keen in keeping a venomous pet, it’d be best not to do so.

Background Information Before Getting One

It pays to do some fact checking before settling on a particular pet insect or spider.

For one, verify with your local agencies’ regulations regarding the legality of owning a particular insect or spider.

Also, gain specifics and particulars related to the care and keeping of insects or spiders, particularly with their feeding. Some tarantulas, for example, require feeding procedures akin to their natural environments. These could be tricky to feed. Though hissing cockroaches are generally easy to feed, stick and leaf insects are more picky with what’s in their diets.

Some insight related to the lifespan of a pet would also be necessary. Certain tarantulas, for example, live as long as 20 years, with females living longer than males

Bottom line, though the basics related to the care of insects and spiders are pets are quite easy to fulfill, in no way does this mean that they're not as “high maintenance” as having dogs or cats in the house.

So? Will you still be getting that tarantula just because it's so cool to have?

You have read this article arachnids / arachnids pets / exotic pets / insect pets / insects / pet / pets / spider pet / spiders with the title insects. You can bookmark this page URL https://memoirsofsicelikmanesh.blogspot.com/2012/02/insects-and-arachnids-as-pets.html. Thanks!