Researchers view the interaction of bees with inanimate objects as a form of gameplay, which shows that bees’ thinking is much more complex than they think.
Lars Chittka, professor of sensory and behavioral ecology at Queen Mary University in London, UK, said a lot of animals play just for enjoyment, "but most of the examples come from young mammals and birds."
He added: "We are providing increasing evidence to support the need to do everything we can to protect insects, which are thousands of miles away from what they are traditionally considered unconscious, emotionally unconscious creatures."
In the test, 45 bumblebees had to roll wooden balls. They repeatedly do this without obvious motivation, showing the playful side.
Young bees roll more than older bees, while adult male bees roll longer than females.
Scientists say this eliminates any idea that bees have a bigger purpose than playing.
, a doctoral student at Queen Mary University in London, UK, said: "It's really exciting and sometimes fun to see bumblebees show off their playing. They're not just small robots."
The results of the study were published in the journal Animal Behavior .
