Honeybees live in social groups consisting of a queen, up to several hundred male drones, and thousands of infertile female workers. The drones mate with the queen only, and the workers protect the hive, forage, and feed and groom the queen. The health of the hive depends on the female workers performing these duties instead of reproducing. What roles do pheromones play in maintaining a functional beehive? In the experiment described in Question 14, the researchers dissolved the queen pheromone in diethyl ether, a chemical that helps volatilize the pheromone, making it easier for the workers to detect it in the air. The control treatment consisted of plain diethyl ether. Why did they use this as the control, instead of simply not exposing the workers to any chemical?

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1. Pheromones are chemical substances produced and released into the environment by an animal, affecting the behavior or physiology of others of its species. In beehives, queen pheromones play crucial roles in maintaining the social structure and functionality of the colony. They inhibit the development of ovaries in female workers, ensuring they remain infertile and focused on their tasks such as foraging and caring for the queen.
2. Queen pheromones also help in regulating the mating behavior and the maintenance of the hive's social harmony by preventing workers from laying eggs and by suppressing aggressive behaviors among the workers, which could destabilize the hive's social structure.
3. In the experiment, using diethyl ether as a control is essential to isolate the effect of the queen pheromone itself. Diethyl ether acts as a carrier to volatilize the pheromone, making it detectable by the worker bees. By using plain diethyl ether in the control group, researchers ensure that any behavioral changes observed in the experimental group are due to the pheromone and not the carrier substance.
4. Using plain diethyl ether as a control also helps in determining the effectiveness and the specific behavioral responses elicited by the queen pheromone compared to just the carrier substance. This method strengthens the validity of the experimental results by demonstrating that the responses are due to the chemical signals of the pheromone rather than the physical presence of any substance.
5. This control setup allows researchers to accurately assess the role and impact of queen pheromones on worker behavior and hive dynamics, providing insights into the complex chemical communication systems that govern the social behaviors in honeybee colonies.

Key Concepts

Pheromones in Social Insects

Pheromones are chemical signals used by social insects, like honeybees, to communicate and coordinate activities within the colony. These substances can influence behavior, such as foraging, mating, and hive maintenance. In honeybee colonies, the queen produces specific pheromones that help regulate the workers' roles and maintain social harmony, ensuring the hive functions effectively.

Control Treatments in Experiments

A control treatment in an experiment serves as a baseline to compare the effects of the experimental treatment. In this case, using plain diethyl ether as a control allows researchers to determine whether the observed effects on worker behavior are due to the queen pheromone or simply the presence of the solvent. This helps isolate the specific impact of the pheromone on the bees' responses.

Volatilization and Detection of Chemicals

Volatilization refers to the process by which a substance transitions from a liquid to a gas, making it detectable by organisms. In the context of the experiment, dissolving the queen pheromone in diethyl ether enhances its volatilization, allowing worker bees to sense it more easily in the air. This is crucial for understanding how pheromones function in communication and behavior within the hive.