Researchers have witnessed what is suspected to be the first case of wild bees using specific tools, after observing Asian honey bees collecting animal waste to ward off attacks from giant wasps.
Throughout the region, the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) is being preyed upon by a species of giant wasp (Vespa soror) - closely related to the killing wasps that invaded the United States during the summer.
In a new study on beehives in Vietnam, researchers observed that individual bees collect fresh animal dung and spatter it on the outside of their nest, to discourage wasps from killing them.
In the experiment, researchers presented live wasps or their chemical "smell" in an area. Soon after, honeybees scrambled to collect as much dung as possible, from any source, and place it in their nests for several days.
It remains unclear (scientifically) exactly how dung protects colonies, but given that wasps chew the nest itself during their attacks, some theories might come to mind.
The researchers claim this is the first time that bees have been observed using tools outside of a laboratory context. Although bees are known to collect plant material to build their nests, there is a clear disagreement among the scientific community over whether this constitutes a use of the tool.
The widely accepted definition states that a tool is an externally located object that is being worked on to give it a specific purpose. The technique of greasing other animal manure in the bee nest, known as "faecal detection," fits that definition, though in a somewhat distasteful way.
Giant wasps are a fearsome predator and pose a huge threat to honeybees, thanks to their thick shield that a single insect can kill thousands of bees on their own within hours.
Litter is the second most advanced defense technique used by bees. Its main method is to muster and trap invaders before shaking enough, to generate heat and slowly cook the invading insect.
Outside the nests, bees were observed performing what were described as "emergency dances" to distract attacking wasps while the bees continued to smear feces around the entrance.
Oddly, attacks by other, much smaller and less lethal wasps did not trigger this litter management response.
Scientists suspect that the feces may contain chemicals that mask the location of the nest, giving it a form of camouflage, but it requires a lot of time and resources to spread during each attack.
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