New buzz about bees

In my ongoing effort to give bees (especially native bees) their due, I thought it might be fun to explore some little-known bee facts:

1.  Bees are excellent recyclers! Two species of leafcutter bee found a good use for plastic: as nest-building material. Bees in Toronto were observed using plastic bag pieces, and even bits of polyurethane sealant, to create their homes. As I've discussed, unlike some honeybees, North American natives, like leafcutters, don't build hives, but instead stitch their houses together out of whatever is available.  Plant material is their typical fabric of choice, but bees are quite resourceful, and when plastic is plentiful, they'll make good use of it--they even cut the plastic pieces differently than they would plant materials.

2.  Bees get a buzz from caffeine.  According to a study published in the journal, "Science," caffeine in the nectar of coffee and citrus flowers gives honeybees a jolt, similar to what we get after we drink a cup of java.  It also sharpens their memory.  A good way to remember which flowers are tastiest!  And that's important, because...

3.  Bees are suckers for sweets!  Like us, bees crave flavor, and their fondness for sweets can rival our own--particularly plants that are chock-full of sugar-laced nectar. But instead of a sweet tooth, bees have a sweet claw. Researchers witnessed the phenomenon when they applied sugars, salts and bitter solutions to bees' legs, and watched what happened.  Bees stuck out their tongues whenever their claws touched the sweet stuff (similar to us licking our lips when we bite into a piece of chocolate!).

"Bee" on the lookout for more about these phenomenal 'bee-ings" in upcoming posts--and follow my progress on "Project Pollinate," my grassroots effort to build and distribute nests for native bees.  Bad puns aside, I invite you to join me in a fictional account of these amazing creatures; I've just begun reading Laline Paull's "The Bees," about Flora 717, the bee version of "a dazzling young heroine who will forever change the way you look at the world outside your window." Sounds intriguing, right?  I'm drawn to it like bees to honey....