Bumble bees enjoy playing with balls like humans and dogs, UK scientists have found. For the first time, researchers have observed the insects interacting with inanimate objects as a form of play.
The team said its findings – published in the journal Animal Behaviour – add to growing evidence that bees’ minds are much more complex than previously imagined. Lars Chittka, professor of sensory and behavioural ecology at Queen Mary University of London, and author of the book The Mind of a Bee, said: “This research provides a strong indication that insect minds are far more sophisticated than we might imagine.
“There are lots of animals who play just for the purposes of enjoyment, but most examples come from young mammals and birds. We are producing ever-increasing amounts of evidence backing up the need to do all we can to protect insects that are a million miles from the mindless, unfeeling creatures they are traditionally believed to be.”
