Nigel Raine and Lars Chittka of Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences said faster-learning bees are more likely to keep track of which flowers have the most nectar.

The researchers studied 12 bumblebee colonies in flight arenas containing blue and yellow artificial flowers stocked with different amounts of nectar. The bees were challenged to overcome their natural preference for blue flowers and learn the yellow flowers were more rewarding. The team found the colonies that learned colors quickly were more successful.

Raine said bees use a variety of cues -- including color, pattern and scent -- to recognize, discriminate and learn the flowers from which they collect food.

The findings are published online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

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