Researchers trained bumblebees to distinguish between two colors, one indicating the presence of sugar and the other its absence. They then presented the bees with ambiguous, indistinct colors to test how they would handle the unclear situations. Optimistic bees approached these colors more quickly, while less confident bees exhibited more cautious behavior.
In another experiment, a single bee received a drop of sucrose and then briefly interacted with a control bee that had not received a reward. This contact occurred without any scents, light, or other cues, except for the behavior of the bee that had received the reward. The control bees were observed to begin reacting to the ambiguous stimuli in the same way as the bee that had received the reward.
The results showed that visual perception played a crucial role in the transmission of this state, as the response did not appear in darkness, suggesting a link to elevated dopamine levels associated with positive feelings. The researchers also hypothesized that stress could be transmitted among members of the colony in the same way.
These results have practical implications for managed apiaries and colonies, where providing a calm and stress-free environment may be just as important as good nutrition and health care.
The study's findings were published in the journl Science.
