Forager honeybees are exposed once to an odor while simultaneously receiving sucrose via a cocktail stick. The insects extend their proboscises to drink the sugary treat (1). At 1 hour, 4 hours, 24 hours, or 72 hours after this experience, the bees are exposed to the same odor or to a control odor. At times up to 24 hours, most bees correctly extend their proboscises in response to the paired odor (2) and not the control one (3). Even at 72 hours, approximately one-third of the trained bees do the same.

Published in The Scientist magazine, May 2020. Writing by Ruth Williams.

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