How can bumblebees tell time?

Bumblebees have demonstrated the ability to process the duration of light flashes, using this information to guide their foraging choices and find food rewards.

What surprising abilities do bees have?

Contrary to the long-held belief that insects are simple "reflex machines," the study found that bumblebees can use novel stimuli they've never encountered before, like flashes of light, to solve tasks in a flexible way, showcasing complex cognition.

Why is the bumblebee study important?

The research challenges the perception of bees as simple pollinators, showing they possess inner lives and unique experiences beyond just serving human purposes. It also raises intriguing questions about the nature of time perception in the animal kingdom.

Home / Science / Bumblebees Demonstrate Surprising Time-Keeping Abilities

Bumblebees Demonstrate Surprising Time-Keeping Abilities

12 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Bees can process duration of light flashes to find food
First evidence of such ability in insects
Bees can use novel stimuli to solve tasks flexibly

Bumblebees Demonstrate Surprising Time-Keeping Abilities

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have found that bumblebees can process the duration of light flashes and use this information to decide where to look for food. This is the first evidence of such an ability in insects, challenging the long-standing belief that they are merely "reflex machines" without flexibility.

The study, conducted by doctoral student Alex Davidson and senior lecturer Elisabetta Versace from Queen Mary University of London, set up a maze where bees encountered two visual cues - one with a short flash of light and another with a long flash. The bees learned to associate the short flash with a sweet food reward and the long flash with a bitter food, demonstrating their ability to differentiate the duration of the flashes.