Bumble bees like to play

Brian W

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Despite simpler nervous systems, bees are not entirely unlike us.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London found that bees spontaneously chose to ignore food to roll wooden balls, with younger bees opting to roll more balls than older bees. It suggests that younger bees are more playful, just like human children.

 
Do bees play? A groundbreaking study says yes.

“It shows that bees are not little robots that just respond to stimuli… and they do carry out activities that might be pleasurable,” says lead author Samadi Galpayage, a researcher at the Queen Mary University of London.

These findings add to growing evidence that bees are more complex than previously thought. If they’re playing solely for fun, enjoyment, and pleasure, that also raises important questions about what feelings they experience—and if they can be considered sentient.