Some Bees Have A Taste For Flesh, Can Smell Carrion From Half A Mile Away, And Turn Digested Meat Into Honey

Summary: Did you know some bees prefer rotting meat over flowers? Meet the vulture bees of Costa Rica. Instead of collecting pollen, these stingless bees use special jaws to slice up dead animals. They carry the meat in leg pouches back to their hives. To survive eating rotting flesh, these bees have a unique stomach filled with acid-loving bacteria, just like real vultures and hyenas. This special bacteria protects them from deadly diseases and helps them turn the digested meat into food for their young.

Source: rssapp-iflscience-com URL: iflscience.com/vulture-bees-feast-on-rotting-flesh-and-still-manage-to-turn-that-foodstuff-into-honey-83306 (opens in new tab)