Studies on risk-sensitive foraging in the Indian honey bee (Apis cerana indica)

Aspects of risk-sensitive foraging were studied in worker honey bees (Apis cerana indica) kept in a hive at A V C College campus using artificial flowers. Individual bees were marked and given choices between variable (10 mul and/or 0 mul) and constant (5 mul) volumes of sucrose solutions in yellow and blue artificial flowers, respectively, for variable and constant flowers. The bees' foraging preference of constant vs. variable flowers in terms of amount of sucrose solution consumed per bout, flower handling time, inter-flower flight time and net energy gain were recorded when the colony's honey stores were normal and depleted, Results provided evidence of risk sensitivity among the honey bees when colony stores were reduced, Even though the bees took similar amounts of nectar when honey stores were depleted, they significantly reduced their handling time thereby increasing the amount of nectar harvested per unit time and the net energy gain per bout. Further, the bees significantly reduced their choice to constant flowers when faced with depleted honey stores.