Do Bees Fly At Night? Can Bees See In The Dark Or At Dusk?

People are often curious about the activities of bees at night.  This topic is the subject of scientific investigation.  Here, I’ll draw on some of the research (listed at the end of this page) to answer questions such as: Do bees fly at night?; Do bees have night vision and can they see in the dark?; and Which bees are active at night?

You might also be interested in the page Do Bees Sleep?

Do bees fly at night?  The short answer in summary...

• Yes, there are species of bees which fly out at night.  They actively forage for food, and have evolved the ability to see and fly in the dark.
• The bees which can fly at night are mainly tropical species.
• Bees active at night gather nectar and pollen from flowers which are open at night time, and offer generous amounts of pollen and nectar.  There is far less competition from other bees, butterflies and other insects for nectar and pollen from this night time nectar source.
• Bees which can see and fly in the dark have evolved slightly different eyes.  Bees have 5 eyes, and the 3 ocelli are responsible for reflecting light.  The ocelli on bees which fly at night are notably larger in proportion to their bodies, than is the case for bees that are active during the daytime. 
• Some bees can tolerate different levels of darkness, but most seem to require at least some moonlight, or they fly out at twilight.
• However, an example of a bee which can fly out during complete darkness and without the aid of moonlight, is the Indian Carpenter Bee.

Below is further information to build on the basic facts outlined above - please see the end of this article for published research  papers.

Are 'Night' And 'Dark' The Same Thing?

When we ask 'do bees fly at night' and 'can bees see in the dark', what do we actually mean by ‘night’ and ‘dark’?

'Night' and 'dark' mean different things to different people.  Therefore, we should consider what we mean by night time, and whether we mean total darkness, or at least some light. 

A creature may be nocturnal in its habits (active at night), crepuscular (active during dusk and dawn – i.e. twilight); or diurnal (active during the day). 

Nocturnal = active at night Crepuscular = active during dusk and dawn – (i.e. twilight)Diurnal = active during the day

Most bees are diurnal, however, there are exceptions, with a small number of bees being crepuscular or nocturnal.

Nocturnal And Crepuscular Bees

As far as we are aware, nocturnal or crepuscular bees are mainly tropical species. 

Interestingly, a number of tropical wasp species have also evolved this lifestyle.  Such bees (and wasps) are able to fly and navigate through a dark forest between their nest and target foraging site.

However, to quote scientist and researcher, Eric Warrant (see ref 1 below):

“Despite being nocturnal…..light levels– and by implication visual reliability – nonetheless limit foraging activity in bees and wasps active at night (Kelber et al., 2006). Some species are clearly crepuscular, requiring slightly brighter twilight skies to see well enough to negotiate obstacles during flight and to find their way home following a foraging trip. Those that fly all night often require the presence of bright moonlight.

Light levels are thus limiting – a species capable of visual foraging in the early dusk may be forced back to the nest just a short time later before light levels have become unacceptably dim.”

Nocturnal and crepuscular (dusk and dawn) foraging activity in bees has arisen independently in at least four of the seven recognised families of bees, namely in

• the Colletidae, 
• the Andrenidae,
• the Halictidae and the
• Apidae families of bees.(Hopkins et al., 2000; Wcislo et al., 2004; Taylor, 2007; Warrant, 2007).

Nocturnal Bee Species:

Nocturnal bees include:

• Megalopta atra (Halictidae; Augochlorini), from the Panamanian highlands) and; 
• the Indian Carpenter Bee which is capable of flying out and finding its way even on the darkest nights, and even without the aid of moonlight.

Crepuscular Bee Species

Examples of species known to be crepuscular, include:

• Xylocopa tabaniformis (the horsefly-like carpenter bee or mountain carpenter bee),
• Xenoglossa fulva (a squash bee),
• Ptiloglossa guinea (a species of Colletidae plasterer bee),
• Ptiloglossa jonesi (a species of Colletidae plasterer bee),
• Ptiloglossa arizonensis (a species of Colletidae plasterer bee),
• Caupolicana yarrow (also from the Colletidae family),
• Caupolicana ocellata  (also from the Colletidae family),
• Martinapis luteicornis (yellow-horned morning long-horned bee),
• Peponapis sp. (squash bees),
• Lasioglossum (Sphecodogastra) sp. (sweat bees),
• the Central American sweat bee Megalopta genalisMegalopta genalis is active under the thick rainforest canopy during two short time windows shortly after dusk and before dawn.   

The sweat bee Lasioglossum (Sphecodogastra) texana is primarily diurnal, but has been found to be capable of foraging at night with adequate moonlight (as least half full moon).

How are the eyes of bees that see in the dark different from those of bees that forage  in daylight? 

Bees have 5 eyes: 

• 2 compound eyesThese are made up of many hexagonal facets, meaning that they can simultaneously see all around them (above, below, side to side, and forwards).
• 3 simple eyes (or ocelli)The ocelli are 3 eyes positioned on top of the head. These eyes are sensitive to light, and aid the bee in its orientation.