Buzzing by bees during flower pollination is significantly more powerful than that used for defence or flight, according to a new study from experts at the University of Stirling.
The research found that flower buzzing produced forces of more than 50G – five times that experienced by fighter jet pilots – and provides an important insight into the pollination process.
Dr David Pritchard, of the University’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, led the study and believes the findings suggest that bees use specific types of buzzing vibrations for certain tasks.
Dr Pritchard said: “We know that bees use their distinctive buzzing vibrations for lots of different tasks and, for this study, we wanted to understand whether buzzes differed by task – or if variations in buzzing were caused by drag on the wings.
Read more at University of Stirling
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