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Video Q&A ViewAttendees 6

Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

10-Minute Paper

SysEB: Behavior and Biocontrol On-Demand Presentations

Do spring queen bumble bees sense, and behaviorally respond to, house mouse odorants as nest site location cues?

On-Demand
On-Demand

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Elana Varner

    PhD candidate
    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    • Co-Author(s)

  • KM

    Kayla Mark

    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

  • HJ

    Hanna Jackson

    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

  • Kendal Singleton

    Masters of Pest Management Student
    Simon Fraser University
    Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

  • SJ

    Sarah Johnson

    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

  • RG

    Regine Gries

    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

  • GG

    Gehard Gries

    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Queen bumble bees reportedly establish colonies in abandoned rodent burrows. In early spring, queens searching for abandon rodent burrows as nesting sites face the challenge of locating the often small and visually obscured entrance hole to these burrows. The queens’ zig-zag borrow -searching flight pattern with an overall forward motion is reminiscent of animals tracking odor plumes and is strong indication that queens rely primarily on rodent scent to locate the entrance to burrows. We tested the hypothesis that bumblebee queens seeking nest sites in Spring sense, and behaviorally respond to, urine and feces odorants from house mice.