Study reveals bees can detect illness in their hive environment.

Recent research indicates that honey bees infected with a gut parasite emit different scents, potentially enabling colonies to detect disease and alter their behavior. A Cardiff University team studied Vairimorpha infections, revealing that these parasites modify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by infected bees, making them smell distinct from healthy ones. Dr. Ayman Asiri from the School of Biosciences noted that while VOC changes due to infection are recognized in various animals, they had not been previously examined in adult honey bees.