A new study published in Science Advances has investigated the magnetic sensitivity in bees, to determine whether magnetic properties were associated with sex, nesting behaviour, or body size in bees and if these properties were restricted to a particular region or body part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By examining 96 bee species from six different families, researchers found evidence of ferromagnetic material in the great majority of the species they tested. The finding suggests that magnetic sensitivity is not an unusual feature restricted to a few familiar social bees, but may be a much older and more widespread characteristic of bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n