By Nick Heath, 29 February 2008 16:00
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The chips on the back of each bee, seen here, will log their journeys between the hive and the flowers. Scientists hope this data will tell them how the insects harness their tiny brains to make complex decisions when foraging for nectar from flowers in the wild.
Dr Nigel Raine, co-investigator on the project, said: "They have got a relatively small brain but are solving complicated problems. In nature there are lots of different flower types in terms of shape, colour and reward. We are looking at how they optimise flight patterns to get the most reward and how they are able to change routes to incorporate new flowers."
Photo credit: Dr. Josef Timar
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