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In bee school we were told that bees don't sleep. I thought that was a bit odd, but I'm so in awe of the bee "work ethic", I was willing to buy into it.
However, I've noticed some bees taking a rest outside the hives, so that got me wondering about it over the last few weeks.
Then the latest Science News came, and in it an article of a study on a species of fruit fly. They determined that fruit flies sleep, and furthermore if they don't get enough sleep when young, it leads to developmental problems later. If a fly with an adult life stage of only a few days to maybe a week needs to sleep, then certainly a bee with an adult life stage of weeks needs to as well.
So that triggered me to look up honeybee sleep, and it would appear that they do sleep. The type, location, and amount of sleep they get changes with age. One does have to be specific in defining "sleep", since obviously they don't close their eyes. They do, however, at least relax and become relatively immobile for periods of time.
http://brookfieldfarmhoney.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/do-honeybees-sleep/
The above refers to a study here: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/211/18/3028.full
Some of those bees you think are busy cleaning out cells? They're catching 30 winks.
One of the perks of being a forager is you get to sleep at night. No doubt a seniority thing.
However, I've noticed some bees taking a rest outside the hives, so that got me wondering about it over the last few weeks.
Then the latest Science News came, and in it an article of a study on a species of fruit fly. They determined that fruit flies sleep, and furthermore if they don't get enough sleep when young, it leads to developmental problems later. If a fly with an adult life stage of only a few days to maybe a week needs to sleep, then certainly a bee with an adult life stage of weeks needs to as well.
So that triggered me to look up honeybee sleep, and it would appear that they do sleep. The type, location, and amount of sleep they get changes with age. One does have to be specific in defining "sleep", since obviously they don't close their eyes. They do, however, at least relax and become relatively immobile for periods of time.
http://brookfieldfarmhoney.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/do-honeybees-sleep/
The above refers to a study here: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/211/18/3028.full
Some of those bees you think are busy cleaning out cells? They're catching 30 winks.
One of the perks of being a forager is you get to sleep at night. No doubt a seniority thing.