Why do bees attack? the keys behind the intensity of their defense
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35830/mcya.vi27.636Keywords:
Honeybee, attack, factors, intruderAbstract
Honeybee is a domesticated insect and the most common species of bee in the world. Interactions between honeybees, humans, and animals are quite frequent for various reasons: they are attracted to sugary foods such as soft drinks or fruits, they visit gardens in search of floral resources like nectar and pollen, and sometimes they attack when people or animals enter the defensive range of an Apis mellifera colony. When multiple intruders are attacked by a colony, it is often observed that some individuals are stung more than others. The main factors influencing the defensive behavior of Apis mellifera are: a) genetics, b) the intruder’s distance from the colony, c) the presence of alarm pheromones, d) the color of the intruder, e) the intruder’s scent, f) noise and movement. Bees are attracted to intruders by different signals such as: movement, scent, and color, which they detect through the chemoreceptors and compound eyes of the guardian and soldier bees.
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