Trail Mix: Espionage among the bees

Some bees rely on olfactory spying to capitalize on other bees’ hard work, researchers report.

RUMBLE BEES. The small but fierce Trigona spinipes bee (left) can’t sting, but with help from nest mates, it can overtake bigger insects such as this Africanized bee (right). Nieh

When certain bees find food, they mark the trail for their nest mates by leaving odiferous chemicals on leaves and other stopover points during the flight home.