Salt preferences of honey bee water foragers

The Journal of Experimental Biology
Pierre W Lau, James C Nieh

Abstract

The importance of dietary salt may explain why bees are often observed collecting brackish water, a habit that may expose them to harmful xenobiotics. However, the individual salt preferences of water-collecting bees were not known. We measured the proboscis extension reflex (PER) response of Apis mellifera water foragers to 0-10% w/w solutions of Na, Mg and K, ions that provide essential nutrients. We also tested phosphate, which can deter foraging. Bees exhibited significant preferences, with the most PER responses for 1.5-3% Na and 1.5% Mg. However, K and phosphate were largely aversive and elicited PER responses only for the lowest concentrations, suggesting a way to deter bees from visiting contaminated water. We then analyzed the salt content of water sources that bees collected in urban and semi-urban environments. Bees collected water with a wide range of salt concentrations, but most collected water sources had relatively low salt concentrations, with the exception of seawater and swimming pools, which had >0.6% Na. The high levels of PER responsiveness elicited by 1.5-3% Na may explain why bees are willing to collect such salty water. Interestingly, bees exhibited high individual variation in salt preferences: individ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 24, 2018·Scientific Reports·Marie GuiraudMaría Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
May 17, 2018·Frontiers in Microbiology·Guilin LiXingqi Guo
Nov 13, 2019·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Michael KaspariKirsten M de Beurs
Oct 17, 2017·Annual Review of Entomology·Geraldine A WrightSharoni Shafir
Jun 6, 2019·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·E NichollsN Hempel de Ibarra
Aug 12, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Geetha G ThimmegowdaShannon B Olsson
Jan 7, 2021·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Frédéric McCuneValérie Fournier
May 3, 2021·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Louise BesteaMaria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
Apr 9, 2021·Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management·Carolyn A SonterSusan C Wilson
Jun 15, 2021·Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences·Khalid Ali KhanMohamed Elimam Ahamed Mohammed

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