INSECTS AND COLOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 December 1924, Page 16

INSECTS AND COLOUR.

STRANGE STORIES OF WASPS AND BEES. Wasps have a keen sense of colour. Lord Avebuiy placed coloured paper over a wasp/ nest, with a hole to allow free entrance (says a writer in T.P.’s and Cassell’s Weekly), lie constantly removed the papers to various distances lrom the nest, replacing them by others of different colon.s. Ihe wasps flew to the coloured papers tu which they bad become accustomed.

j Bees, too, have a very keen sense’of , colour, and the ability to discriminate [between variations in shades. Bines ' are favourites, including pale blue and jvioJet, and though purple reds arc visited and in favour, vet scarlets arc disliked. \ ellovvs or greens are passed by d flovve s of more favoured colours are present. In some of the- delightful rural spots in England people will believe that bees are interested in world affairs, especially when these affairs affect their owners. 1 l-niloro to iuto-rn the bees is a serious broach of confidence, so grievous, indeed, that they are liable to die of disappointment! To prevent disaster. it is cusomary to visit the hives and tell the news: to decorate them on feasts and holidays; and on the occasion of marriage or a birth to use coloured cloth-, whilst a death puts the bees into mourning, and black creoe is fastened to the hives. Good news or bad the owner taps three times, and tells all he can. It is always better to use the front door key to tap with. '