Honeybees Can Grasp the Concept of Numerical Symbols

That's right. They know basic math ... and can learn to read.

By Bill Andrews
Jun 4, 2019 11:01 PMFeb 22, 2020 4:12 AM
Honey Bee - Shutterstock
(Credit: Zoran Matic/shutterstock)

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Math is famously divisive. Some people like to say they’re not “math people” if they have trouble with the subject (though, that might not actually be a healthy approach). Well, guess who have turned out to be math people? Honeybees!

Devoted readers may recall some past stories on this front. Almost exactly a year ago, we learned that bees can understand basic numbers, including the semi-abstract concept of zero. Then, in February, scientists said they’d discovered not only that bees can count, but that they can also do basic arithmetic.

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