They are famed for being hard workers. But it seems honeybees could also be rather good at maths. Scientists have discovered that the insects can discriminate between numbers at a glance. In tests, the bees could naturally tell the difference between patterns containing two and three dots – and with a bit of schooling, how to distinguish between three and four. The scientists now plan to test whether bees can also perform basic arithmetic. There has been a lot of evidence that vertebrates, such as pigeons, dolphins or monkeys, have some numerical competence but this is the first time such abilities have been discovered in insects. Bees' ability to discriminate between different numbers could help them to find good sources of pollen even when they are miles away from their hive. __
