East Anglia/Southampton - Bee prepared for old age

Bee behaviour and what it can tell us about the process of ageing in other animals, including humans, is the subject of a joint project by the University of East Anglia and the University of Southampton. In the three-year study, scientists will look at what happens in a bumble-bee colony as the queen gets older. "As queen bees age they produce fewer offspring, which provokes conflict over the inheritance of resources," said UEA's Andrew Bourke, who is leading the study.