How Smart Are Honey Bees?

Despite their small brain size (about 1 cubic millimeter), honey bees are rather smart. They're able to recognize and remember colors and keep track of up to four different landmarks. Australian researchers, in particular, have successfully taught honey bees to recognize colors. The bees are shown a color which is used to indicate a particular path through a maze, which the bees are then able to navigate recognizing that color. They can even recall that color later, and use it as a guide even when they are not shown it at the beginning of a maze.

More about honey bees:

• The grey matter — the grey tissue that forms the cerebral cortex — in the honey bee's brain is about 10 times denser than that of a mammal.


• Honey bees communicate seemingly complex information about locations and threats to each other through a waggle dance — a form of communication by way of movement in the shape of a figure eight.


• Honey bees even remember locations of smell. They can return to a place that smelled a certain way if that same odor is introduced to their hive.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do honey bees communicate with each other?

Honey bees exhibit remarkable communication skills through the "waggle dance." When a forager bee discovers a rich food source, it performs a dance on the honeycomb to indicate the direction and distance of the food relative to the sun's position. This sophisticated behavior demonstrates their ability to convey complex information to hive mates.

Can honey bees recognize individual human faces?

Surprisingly, honey bees can be trained to recognize human faces. In a study published by the Journal of Experimental Biology, bees were shown to differentiate between photographs of human faces using a technique similar to how they distinguish between different types of flowers, which suggests a high level of visual processing for an insect.

What kind of problem-solving abilities do honey bees have?

Honey bees are adept at problem-solving. They can navigate mazes that require them to recognize colors and shapes to find a reward. Additionally, they demonstrate an understanding of "same" and "different" concepts and can use this to solve complex tasks, showcasing their cognitive flexibility and learning capabilities.

Do honey bees have a form of collective intelligence?

Yes, honey bees exhibit collective intelligence, often referred to as "swarm intelligence." This is particularly evident when they make decisions as a group, such as when choosing a new nest site. The bees' collective decision-making process is highly efficient and often leads to the selection of the best possible site, illustrating a sophisticated form of group intelligence.

How do honey bees contribute to their ecosystem?

Honey bees play a crucial role in ecosystems as pollinators. They are responsible for the pollination of a wide variety of plants, including many crops humans rely on for food. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 75% of the world's food crops depend at least partly on pollination, highlighting the bees' significant ecological contribution.

Are honey bees capable of learning from each other?

Honey bees can indeed learn from one another. Research has shown that bees can observe and mimic the behavior of experienced foragers, such as using landmarks to navigate or the best methods to extract nectar from a particular flower. This social learning is a testament to their intelligence and adaptability in their environment.