MY BUZZT FRIEND
Queen bumble bee adopts Fiona as her humble servant
FIONA Presly saved the life of a stricken queen bee – and has baffled experts by adopting it as her pet.
Library assistant Fiona has cared for the insect since rescuing the dying wingless creature from her garden last spring – and claims she has developed a close bond with it.
She even cuddles the buff-tailed insect, which she claims is “house-trained”.
Fiona, from Inverness, said: “I found her when we were getting work done in the garden.
“It was lucky I didn’t stand on her. She must have just come out of hibernation.
“I put my hand down and she crawled on to it. I looked at her and thought, ‘Something’s not right here, she’s got no wings’.”
Realising the queen was unable to fly and would die without her help, Fiona constructed a mini garden with fresh flowers in a crate and took the bee in overnight.
From that day on, she became the bee’s carer and documented their unusual interactions. Fiona said: “She made buzzy sounds when she was in close contact with me and was happy to sit and groom, eat and drink and sleep on my hand.
“We were both comfortable with each other and many people admired this bond. I think I have proved here that you can have a relationship with an insect.”
The extraordinary tale caught the attention of bee psychologist Lars Chittka, a professor in sensory and behavioural ecology at Queen Margaret University of London, who was left baffled. He said: “No scientist to my knowledge has tested whether bees, even with each other, form some sort of emotional relations. It’s quite remarkable that a layman would make such detailed observations that get scientists to scratch their heads and ask what’s going on.”
Research has shown insects have displayed signs of intelligence and problem-solving skills but very little is known about their emotional abilities.
But Chittka believes it’s possible that Bee could have formed a bond with a human due to the natural biology of her species, adding: “The question becomes whether the other individuals and environment for that queen necessarily have to be other bees, or could it be a completely different species that provides warmth, reward, security and so on?”
Fiona insists her bond with Bee has changed her perspective on insects. She said: “I don’t just view bees differently, I now see all insects in a new light.”