Although key to their functionality, the electric charging of the bee antenna and the so-called placodes receptors is poorly understood. Our recent observation using electrostatic probe microscopy ...

But the antennae on their heads offer them a much more comprehensive understanding of their surroundings. Bees’ antennae are packed with sensory structures for touch, smell, taste and even hearing.

Then, the researchers snipped the bees’ antennae, which are used for smell and continue to be active for some time after removal, and attached electrodes to them. They measured the antennae’s ...