Caffeine is not produced by only plants coffee and cocoa. The drug is present in the pollen of some flowers. Some researchers suggested that caffeine could be beneficial to bees, but a latest research has added doubt to the theory.

As per previous research, caffeine makes the bee memory better, which not only allows them to discover the most optimal plants for pollination but also enables them to remember their paths so that they can remember their way in a better way to the right flower every time.

It is good news for the collapse in the honeybee population across the world, called colony collapse disorder. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported that in 2015 alone, the collapse disorder has affected 42% of bee colonies in the US. According to the NRDC, pesticide use is the main culprit.

However, a latest study has pointed out that all that caffeine could not be as good for the bees as previously thought. The study said caffeine might help them to be more efficient pollinators, but the bees will keep on coming back to less nutritious flowers for their food every time.

In addition, the research suggested that plants that are aware of the effect of caffeine on honeybees could use traces of caffeine in their pollen with a motive to keep luring bees back.

In a press release, Dr. Margaret Couvillon, of the University of Sussex, said, “[S]ome plants, through the action of a secondary compound like caffeine that is present in nectar, may be tricking the honey bee by securing loyal and faithful foraging and recruitment behaviors, perhaps without providing the best quality forage”.