Honeybees can be Trained to Respond to very Small Changes in Geomagnetic Field Intensity

Abstract

ABSTRACT It has been demonstrated repeatedly (Kirschvink & Kirschvink, 1989; Walker et al. 1989; Walker & Bitterman, 1985, 1989) that free-flying honeybees can be trained to respond to local anomalies in the geomagnetic field, but none of the training methods previously available has been sensitive enough for threshold studies. Here we report some determinations of intensity thresholds with a new and more powerful technique that permits objective measurement of response.