[power napper]

Is it possible for bees to become intoxicated?

 

[Brent Bean]

Interesting question, but how would you tell? Perhaps try and get them to walk a straight line?

But having six legs this might not show much, maybe they would show a lot of fighting that seems to happen in bars with humans. Or perhaps you could tell by slurred buzzing noise.

 

[Dick Allen]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041025123121.htm

Note: This is NOT from 'The Onion'

 

[magnet-man]

I have posted this before, but can't resist a second post.

What do you do with a drunken bee,
What do you do with a drunken bee,
What do you do with a drunken bee,
Earl-eye in the morning!

Chorus:

Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-eye in the morning

Take her honey with a rusty knife,
Take her honey with a rusty knife,
Take her honey with a rusty knife,
Earl-eye in the morning!

Chorus

Put her in the keeper's veil,
Put her in the keeper's veil,
Put her in the keeper's veil,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[ December 11, 2006, 11:00 PM: Message edited by: magnet-man ]

 

[Brent Bean]

Great article Dick, I feel better knowing my tax dollars are being spent on such profound research. But with all the human subjects that would freely participate in such a study, sounds like cruelty to animals to me. Not to say a loss of honey potential. But then you don’t need to do scientific research to figure out that if you pour enough alcohol into any living creature with a nervous system it will end up on it’s back.

 

[Michael Bush]

I've seen the bees tear up some fermented strawberry juice in a dearth. They seemed none the worse for it.

 

[BjornBee]

Hmmm...A large gathering of 50,000 drunk females. Hmmmm....some more.

 

[sierrabees]

I think it would depend on the race of bees. If they are Itallians you would probably get a lot of loud buzzing and then silence. If they came from Ireland you might be able to see a lot of rebellious activity and feeble attempts to supercede with groups of bees fighting to defend their favorite supercedure cells. Carnolians and Russian bees would just sleep it off and look for more fermented nector when they woke up.

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Well, I do know that some species of nepenthes (a carnivorous pitcher plant) secrete a nectar around the peristome of their traps which attracts ants. The ants become intoxicated and are at greater risk for falling into the pitchers. Inside the pitchers is the enzyme-rich digestive fluid which also has a narcotic effect on the insects they catch. So from this I would speculate that insects are susceptible to intoxication, though I don't know that alcohol would have the same effect necessarily.

 

[peggjam]

Flying While Intoxicated, wonder what kind of fine that would get the girls? . They'd be easier to work no doubt. 50,000 intoxicated girls in the same spot....... .

 

[sierrabees]

I suspect it would bee up to the Beek to suspend her flying licence for a while.