Behavior and mortality of Apis mellifera workers feeding on soft drinks in an urban environment

Comportamento e mortalidade de operárias de Apis mellifera alimentando-se de refrigerantes em ambiente urbano

Abstract

Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) coexists with humans in urban habitats foraging, mainly, sources containing carbohydrates. The behavior and risks for bees using soft drinks in their diet are poorly studied. The time spent by bee workers visiting soft drink leftovers in plastic cups and its death were evaluated. Bee workers spent more time visiting soft drinks in plastic cups (200 mL) than flowers of Schinus sp. (Anacardiaceae), Anadenanthera sp. (Fabaceae), Vernonia sp. (Asteraceae), Citrus sinensis L. (Rutaceae) and Cissus rhombifolia Vahl (Vitaceae), the five most visited honey plants in the field. Drowning mortality and the bee preference varied with the amount of soft drinks leftovers in cups. We present the first study of behavior and drowning mortality of A. mellifera feeding on leftover soft drink in plastic cups in urban areas, in the Brazilian Cerrado biome. This study may help to understanding the adaptive mechanisms of honeybees to explore habitats dominated by humans and unusual diets.

Keywords:
Apidae; behavior; carbohydrates; foraging; honeybees