Bees build nests from plastic

Solitary bees have been observed using plastic packaging to build nests. Scientists conducted a study between 2017 and 2018, setting up 63 trap nests in crop fields. Three nests were used by bees, with two made from mud and petals, and one from plastic. The plastic nest had three cells, two made from thin blue plastic and one from thicker white plastic. The bees cut and stacked the materials to form the cells. The first cell contained a dead larva, the second had a bee that reached adulthood, and the third was incomplete.

What unusual material have solitary bees been observed using to build their nests?

• Sand

• Wood

• Leaves

• Plastic packaging

How many trap nests were set up by scientists to study wild bees?

• 90

• 45

• 78

• 63

What materials were used by bees to construct two of the nests?

• Mud and petals

• Wood and leaves

• Sand and grass

• Clay and straw

What was the color of the plastic used in the first two cells of the plastic nest?

• Green

• Yellow

• Red

• Light blue

What was found in the first cell of the plastic nest?

• An empty cell

• An adult bee

• A dead larva

• A live larva