‘They surprise me every time’: bees can use tools to solve problems, study finds Experiments demonstrate that bumblebees possess advanced cognitive abilities, capable of using tools to solve problems. In a study, bees successfully used a polystyrene ball as a tool to reach an artificial flower, a feat previously observed in species like chimpanzees and crows. These findings challenge the long-held assumption that insects operate solely on instinct and mindless trial-and-error.

• Bees have demonstrated the ability to use tools to solve problems.
• Experiments involved bees rolling a polystyrene ball to access an artificial flower, similar to the classic ‘box-and-banana’ problem.
• The findings suggest insects possess advanced cognitive abilities, challenging the view that they operate purely on instinct.
• Researchers designed complex versions of the experiment to confirm that bees were intentionally using the ball as a tool, not by chance.
• This research indicates that miniature brains can generate flexible solutions to novel problems.