Nothing energises the body like a nice warm drink on a chilly morning. But did you know that bees also act like humans when they feel cold.
A study by entomologists Melanie Norgate and Adrian Dyer from the Monash University shows that bees also like to keep winter at bay with a warm drink.
The research, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, has shown that important pollinators of many of our flowers, native stingless bees, warm up their bodies by having a 'hot' drink on a cool day — or a 'cool' drink in warmer weather.
Working with collaborators from Monash and the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial research Organisation, Dyer said: "The bees perceived warmth as an important reward in addition to the nutritious nectar that they collect from flowers."
"However, surprisingly for the research team, when the ambient temperature reached 34C, the bees began preferring a cooler feeder," Dyer was quoted as saying by a Monash release.
"The study showed that just as a person might choose which type of drink to have depending on the weather, the bees also made a decision on their drink, based on what flowers might offer nectar at the ideal temperature for the particular climatic conditions," concluded Dyer.