‘Bees are really highly intelligent’: the insect IQ tests causing a buzz among scientists

We all know these busy insects are good for crops and biodiversity, but proof is emerging that they are also clever, sentient and unique beings

They have been revered by the ancient Egyptians, lauded by Shakespeare, feared by Winnie-the-Pooh and, most recently, battled by Rowan Atkinson in the new Netflix hit Man vs Bee. But love or loathe them, you may be surprised to discover just how much bees know.

We now have suggestive evidence that there is some level of conscious awareness in bees - that there is a sentience, that they have emotion-like states," says Lars Chittka, professor of sensory and behavioural ecology at Queen Mary University of London.