Bioelectromagnetics: Bees & Flowers Communicate Using Electrical Fields, Scientists Find

2013 05 03

By Christina Sarich | TheRebel

id you know that flowers and bees communicate with one another about the amount and quality of pollen available using bioelectromagnetics?

The Communication Between Bees and Flowers

In a recent study from the University of Bristol and published in Science Express, scientists put electromagnetic detectors in flowers’ pollinators to watch the great romance of spring and determine if electrical signals given off by both bee and flower aided in communication. They also watched bee behavior to observe some interesting findings.

What scientists discovered is that flowers tell bees specific information, including how much pollen they have, if another bee has visited them recently, and what type of flower they are. Flowers and bees communicate effectively to aid bees in the work they do.

Nature is probably more honest than the person you met at a bar last week or the latest update to a romantic interests’ online dating profile, because the flower ‘knows’ that a bee won’t visit them if they don’t provide nectar or pollen, and so they use positive reinforcement through electromagnetic signals to help draw the bee in – aside from their bright colors, exotic petals and heady perfumes. They always tell the truth about what they have to offer.

Researchers at the University of Bristol also discovered that bumblebees can distinguish different types of flowers with more discernment utilizing floral electric fields. While plants are usually negatively charged, bees can build up to a 200-volt charge as they fly through the air. When they land on a flower, this electric charge helps the bee and flower ‘talk’ to one another. This electric relationship is not entirely understood by researchers just yet, as scientists don’t’ know exactly how bees (or flowers) detect electrical fields.

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Read the full article at: therebel.org

Posted by enerchi at 5/03/2013 11:34:00 AM

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3 comments:

AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 4:14 PM

Bees and wasps are adorable, what are those fat ones called in english? They're adorable. Although if I see one I get so scared and I just wanna shoo it out of my window again but it keeps flying around my room for 5 minutes D:

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AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 5:03 PM

The fat ones are Bumble Bees :}

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AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 5:25 PM

If your talking about the big black ones, with the little bit of yellow around the head, and they more or less, fly and hover near a central point, they're "Carpenter Bees". They chew, near perfect holes in almost any wood, even all lawn furniture. You may want to carefully look around all the wood in the area. If you find 1 or more, near perfect, 3/8 diameter holes in your woodwork or furniture, then you've found the nest. Find yourself a good bee & wasp killer. I usually use, a good automotive Brake Cleaner. Then spray the guardian first, followed by shooting the spray into the nest. Caution. Those in the nest will try to exit, and they will be a tad pissed off. As for mother nature in general. We humans would be hard pressed to find a better teacher. ka

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