The coffee shop may promise productivity and snacks, but only one thing gets you in the door: caffeine. It turns out that honeybees fall for the same trick – and when they do, they probably make less honey.
We knew from a previous study that caffeine boosts bee memory, helping them quickly learn the scent linked to the caffeinated food. For providing that jolt, the plant may be rewarded when eager bees keep returning and end up spreading more pollen.