Bumblebees have a strong homecoming instinct
Bumblebees find their way in the air better than previously thought. This is how the insects find their way back to their nest from a distance of 13 kilometers. Until now, researchers have assumed that bumblebees travel no more than five kilometers in search of food.
Scientists from the University of Newcastle around Steph O'Connor had marked bumblebees with small numbers and released the insects in different places to observe the return flight to the nest. The bumblebees found their way from the Tyne Bridge, 1.5 kilometers from the nest, and from the Metro Centre, the second largest shopping center in Europe, about 5 kilometers away. The record flight was held by bumblebees, which the researchers had released in a garden area 13 kilometers away in Heddon.
As the biologists determined, only the workers return home; the queens, they suspect, did not return-they instead sought new homes. In flight, the insects most likely orientate themselves on characteristic features of the landscape. The research team wants to investigate soon whether the animals primarily recognize natural characteristics – trees or rivers – or also urban features such as buildings and streets. Knowing this, Mark O'Neill believes that special landmarks could be placed near nature reserves to help bumblebees find their way.
