Effect of Age on the Response to Alarm Pheromones by Caged Honey Bees

Abstract

The response of newly emerged, 4 and 6-wk-old honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), to alarm chemicals was compared in a laboratory test. Older bees were significantly more active before testing. The 4-wk-old bees reacted faster than the newly emerged and the 6-wk-old groups, but there were no differences in the duration of their reactions. Younger bees were more likely to engage in fanning, often with exposure of the Nasonov gland.