Bee feeding: Fruit vs nectar

Question 1

Quality vs quantity: foraging decisions in the honey bee feeding on wildflower nectar and fruit juice.

Author / date?

Answer 1

Shackleton et al 2016

Question 2

What is the benefit of feeding on nectar vs fruit juice?

Answer 2

• Fruit juice easier to collect
• Nectar has a much higher sugar content

Question 3

What was the movement of fruit juice foragers like?

Answer 3

• Didn’t move much between food so maximised their foraging time
• Suggests fruit juice energetically inexpensive to collect

Question 4

What was the limitations of fruit juice foraging and nectar?

Answer 4

• Fruit juice only limited by daylight
• Nectar also limited by flowers closing/withering

Question 5

Which forgaing technique had a lower energetic cost?

Answer 5

Fruit juice