do bees like coffee grounds

Do Bees Like Coffee Grounds? The Buzz on Caffeine and Honeybees

As a coffee lover and backyard beekeeper, I was fascinated when I first heard that bees seem drawn to coffee grounds. Seeing bees flocking to used coffee filters got me wondering – could our favorite morning brew actually benefit honeybees? I decided to investigate the buzz on bees and caffeine.

Why Are Bees Attracted to Coffee Grounds?

Bees get very excited when they find coffee grounds and gather around them, as if they want to eat and collect the small coffee particles. What is it about spent coffee that drives bees bonkers?.

A few key factors likely explain the bee-coffee connection:

Aroma – Bees have a superb sense of smell and may be lured in by coffee’s appealing scent. When blooms are scarce bees use aroma to locate food sources.

Some insects can’t handle large amounts of caffeine, but bees may find that small amounts of this natural stimulant give them the energy boost they like.

Sugars – Coffee contains polysaccharide sugars that caramelize during roasting. Bees probably forage on these tasty residual sugars.

Texture – The fine, dust-like texture of used grounds resembles pollen. Bees may mistakenly identify coffee particles as a potential protein source.

Overall, coffee grounds smell and taste enough like flower nectar and pollen to attract honeybees that are out looking for food.

Is Caffeine Harmful to Bees?

In coffee plants, caffeine serves as a natural insecticide, protecting seeds and leaves from pests. But in small amounts, it does not appear toxic to honeybees.

Bees may even benefit from the mild stimulant properties of trace caffeine, similar to the boost we get from coffee. Research shows caffeine can amplify memory, problem-solving skills, and foraging success in honeybees.

While too much caffeine could potentially be unsafe, bees are smart enough to self-regulate their intake from coffee grounds or nectar, avoiding poisoning themselves.

Do Coffee Grounds Provide Nutrition for Bees?

Bees flock to coffee grounds in search of nourishment. But used coffee offers little real nutrition for honeybees. The grounds provide:

• No protein – Unlike pollen, spent coffee has no protein or amino acids to support brood-rearing.

• Very little sugar left over—After brewing, very little sugar is left over, giving the coffee very little carbohydrate value.

• No vital micronutrients – Coffee grounds lack the array of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in flower pollen.

While bees may find coffee grounds tasty, the grounds themselves impart negligible nutritional value for honeybee health and productivity.

Can Coffee Grounds Substitute for Pollen?

When pollen is scarce, desperate bees sometimes gather odd protein stand-ins like sawdust, soil, and even human tears! Coffee grounds fall into this category of peculiar bee “pollen substitutes.”

Foraging on unusual pollen replacements shows just how hungry bees are for protein. However, coffee grounds are a very poor protein source, lacking amino acids to properly nourish growing bee larvae.

Adding a bit of spent coffee to sugar water or patty subs may provide some stimulation. But don’t rely on grounds as a meaningful pollen substitute. For real nutrition, bees require diverse pollen from flowers.

Using Coffee Grounds in the Beeyard

While bees eagerly visit coffee grounds, the grounds offer little concrete benefit. Some beekeepers have found creative uses for spent coffee around the apiary:

• Place dry grounds near hives as an attractant to aid swarm collections

• Add a small amount of grounds to pollen patties for a mild stimulant

• Mix grounds into homemade bee repellents to mask appealing scents

Avoid putting damp coffee grounds directly into hives, as they could promote mold growth. Overall, spent coffee is better used to enrich garden soil than to boost your bees!

The Bottom Line? Bees certainly relish the aroma and flavor of coffee grounds. Yet the grounds provide bees little more than a pleasant smell and caffeine buzz. For good nutrition, bees still require diverse pollen from blooming plants.

So brew an extra cup for your flowers, enrich your soil with the grounds, and rest assured your morning coffee habit likely does no harm – and may even mildly help – your busy bees. Our beloved honeybees deserve a nutritious, balanced diet…but the occasional pick-me-up from coffee grounds probably does no harm!