Do ants think? Do bees feel?
Animals were once considered mindless – incapable of thoughts or feelings.
These views dominated common thought for millennia, until research indicated that mammals and birds can think and feel similarly to how we do.
Now the magnifying glass is being aimed even lower – the six-legged kingdom.
Is bigger better?
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle placed insects and arachnids 10th in his scale of nature hierarchy, stamped between snails and jellyfish.
It’s clear creepy crawlies are capable of something akin to thoughts. However, most seem to display very simple behaviours.
Swarm intelligence
Hymenoptera, the order enveloping bees and ants, exhibit complex behaviours like selective attention and social learning – both of which have long been observed in animals once thought to be of some ‘higher order’.
Each bee is an individual with a unique external experience, capable of deciphering conflicting food sources and potential threats and directing attention appropriately.
Bee-haviour
Kit says it’s important to understand that bees are able to think and have some sort of feelings.
We seem to uncover more about their cognitive capacities every day.
Shocked researchers even managed to coax bumblebees into playing soccer.