The Development of an Ethanol Model Using Social Insects I: Behavior Studies of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.)

Abstract

The experiments on consumption, locomotion, and learning suggest that exposure to ethanol influences behavior of honey bees similar to that observed in experiments with analogous vertebrates. The honey bee model presents unique research opportunities regarding the influence of ethanol in the areas of language, social interaction, development, and learning. Although the behavioral results are interesting, similarity between the physiologic effects of ethanol on honey bees and vertebrates has not yet been determined.

Acute ethanol ingestion produces dose-dependent effects on motor behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

“…Initial studies examining the effects of ethanol on the number of crossings in a shuttle-box and the turning of a "running wheel" suggested that ethanol consumption would also affect locomotion in honey bees (Abramson et al, 2000). Our studies are consistent with these results as honey bees given higher doses decreased the amount of time spent walking and increased time stopped.…”

“…Honey bees are excellent at learning visual and olfactory tasks; moreover, they exhibit complex social behaviors such as food sharing and division of labor (Seeley, 1985(Seeley, , 1995Winston, 1987). In contrast to studies using Drosophila and C. elegans where ethanol is delivered to experimental subjects as a vapor or by injection (Drosophila) or via the media on which the animal lives (C. elegans), honey bees will readily consume ethanol (Abramson, et al, 2000). Furthermore, the larger size of honey bees makes it easier to observe subtle changes in behavioral state associated with ethanol consumption.…”

The effect of avocado (Persea americana) nectar composition on its attractiveness to honey bees (Apis mellifera)

“…Most of the studies in which repellency and toxicity of nectars were examined compared preference (Waller et al, 1972;Hagler and Buchmann, 1993;London-Shafir et al, 2003) or longevity (Majak et al, 1980;Allsopp et al, 1998) of honey bees that were fed ad lib with the tested solutions. Only a few studies tested how the learning process of bees is affected by limited nectar amounts enriched with components like glycine (Kim and Smith, 2000) or ethanol (Abramson et al, 2000). The results of our learning experiment reveal that the repelling components in the avocado honey and possibly in avocado nectar have an immediate negative effect on foraging behavior of honey bees.…”

“…Bees avoided imbibing a full crop load of avocado honey, as they do with sugar solutions containing salt (von Frisch, 1950), or high ethanol concentrations (Abramson et al, 2000). These results may indicate the presence of some repellent component in avocado honey.…”

“…Trying to understand the importance of repelling components in the nectar, we have to identify not only their (post-ingestion) effect on the fully loaded bee, but also how they affect the foraging process as the bee is collecting small amounts (possibly due to pre-ingestion effects, such as taste). For example, sucrose solution containing ethanol, reduced the learning performance of bees after consumption of only a few microliters (Abramson et al, 2000) possibly due to a preingestion effect, while feeding on nectar containing miserotoxin resulted in postponed death in the hive (Majak et al, 1980). Most of the studies in which repellency and toxicity of nectars were examined compared preference (Waller et al, 1972;Hagler and Buchmann, 1993;London-Shafir et al, 2003) or longevity (Majak et al, 1980;Allsopp et al, 1998) of honey bees that were fed ad lib with the tested solutions.…”