How Do Bees Protect Themselves From Predators?

Introduction

Bees have evolved a variety of sophisticated defense mechanisms to protect themselves and their colonies from predators. These strategies range from chemical signaling and physical attacks to the use of tools and coordinated group behaviors. Understanding these defense mechanisms provides insight into the complex social behaviors and survival strategies of bees.

Key Insights

Alarm Pheromones and Recruitment:
- Honeybees release alarm pheromones to recruit other bees for defense, triggering both immediate and long-term behavioral changes in nearby bees to prime them for defense .
Tool Use:
- Apis cerana workers use animal feces to repel giant hornets (Vespa soror) by applying it around nest entrances, which deters hornets from attacking.
Hovering Guards:
- The stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula employs hovering guards that increase the detection perimeter for flying intruders, enhancing the colony's defensive capabilities .
Shimmering Behavior:
- Giant honeybees (Apis dorsata) perform a coordinated shimmering behavior, creating a visual deterrent that repels hornets and other predators.
Mandibular Gland Secretions:
- Bees use volatile lipids from their mandibular gland secretions as olfactory repellents to deter ants and other arthropod predators.
Fan-Blowing:
- The Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis) uses a unique fan-blowing behavior to repel small insects like ants and aphids at the nest entrance.
Learning and Vigilance:
- Bumblebees adjust their foraging behavior based on previous encounters with cryptic predators, increasing their inspection time and false alarm rates to avoid predation.

Conclusion

Bees employ a diverse array of defense mechanisms to protect themselves and their colonies from predators. These include chemical signaling through alarm pheromones, physical defenses such as hovering guards and shimmering, the use of tools like animal feces, and unique behaviors such as fan-blowing. Additionally, bees exhibit learning and vigilance behaviors to enhance their predator detection and avoidance strategies. These multifaceted defense tactics highlight the complexity and adaptability of bee behavior in response to predatory threats.

Summary

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Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

The defensive response of the honeybee Apis mellifera

Honey bees (Apis cerana) use animal feces as a tool to defend colonies against group attack by giant hornets (Vespa soror)

Aerial defense of the nest by workers of the stingless bee Trigona (Tetragonisca) angustula (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Hovering guards of the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula increase colony defensive perimeter as shown by intra- and inter-specific comparisons

Organization enhances collective vigilance in the hovering guards of Tetragonisca angustula bees

Social Waves in Giant Honeybees Repel Hornets

Predator deterrence by mandibular gland secretions of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Speed-Accuracy Tradeoffs and False Alarms in Bee Responses to Cryptic Predators

Honeybee communication during collective defence is shaped by predation

Anti-predator Fan-blowing in Guard Bees, Apis mellifera capensis Esch

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