We humans have many vices, but we rarely admit to them. Caffeine and nicotine are two which we may admit to more readily, maybe because so many people share these addictions, but we’re not the only ones buzzing from our favorite chemicals.
Scientists at the University of Haifa in Israel found that bees may actually prefer nectar traced with caffeine and nicotine over nectar without. Flower nectar is primarily comprised of sugars, which provide energy for the potential pollinators. But the floral nectar of some plant species also includes small quantities of substances known to be toxic, such as caffeine and nicotine.
Nicotine is found naturally in floral nectar at a concentration of up to 2.5 milligrams per liter, primarily in various types of tobacco tree (Nicotiana glauca). Caffeine is found at concentration levels of 11-17.5 milligrams per liter, mostly in citrus flowers. In the nectar of grapefruit flowers, however, caffeine is present in much higher concentrations, reaching 94.2 milligrams per liter. In order to examine whether bees prefer the nectar containing caffeine and nicotine, the researchers offered artificial nectar that comprised various natural sugar levels and various levels of caffeine and nicotine, alongside “clean” nectar that comprised sugar alone. The caffeine and nicotine concentrations ranged from the natural levels in floral nectar up to much higher concentrations than found in nature.
The results showed that bees clearly prefer nectar containing nicotine and caffeine over the “clean” nectar. However, at higher concentrations, the bees went back to the “clean” nectar, proving there can be too much of a good thing.
Who knows, maybe we’ll be sitting on a patio at our favorite coffee shop, enjoying a cup of joe and a nicotine patch (because we’re quitting, right?) and our sweet friend the honey bee will be sitting next to us with their tiny cup of bee coffee and their tiny nicotine patch.
