Flowers may be big antennas for bees’ electrical signals

Flowering plants may have a secret power for knowing when to lure pollinators.

They could act as antennas for bees’ electrical signals and transmit those signals through the soil, biophysicist Daniel Robert reported March 6 in Minneapolis at the American Physical Society meeting. The finding offers a possible clue to how floral neighbors share information about when to produce nectar, saving energy for when pollination looks promising.

If a bee’s flapping wings trigger even a small voltage difference in plants, it could be “an interesting demonstration of communication,” says Víctor Ortega-Jiménez, a biomechanics researcher at the University of Maine in Orono who was not involved in the study.

More from author

Related posts

Advertisment

Latest posts

The Toyota 4Runner is finally entering the future with a hybrid | CNN Business

CNN  —  It’s been almost 15 years since there has been any major change to the popular Toyota...

Should you include gold bars in your next Costco trip? Financial expert reacts | CNN Business

Costco is running out of gold bars to sell. Financial expert reacts ...

The NCAA women’s basketball final outrated the men’s for the first time ever | CNN Business

New York CNN  —  For the first time in its 42-year history, more people watched the women’s NCAA basketball...