Checking to see if you got the Zoom invite for tonite
Alan Bauer
eve menger
Plants aren't just sitting there looking pretty — they're eavesdropping on insects and strategically sweetening their nectar for the right visitors.
New research by Francesca Barbero from the University of Turin reveals plants can distinguish between the buzzing of helpful pollinators and nectar-stealing "robbers," adjusting their sugar production accordingly. When they hear good pollinators approaching, they pump up the sweetness. When thieves come calling, they dial it back.
"When we played the sounds of the best pollinator, the plant reacted by secreting a nectar with a high sugar concentration," Barbero explained to Bob McDonald on his Quirks and Quarks podcast for CBC. "And the most amazing thing is that when we play back the sounds of a robber insect [that takes nectar but doesn't reciprocate by pollinating], the plant is sort of keeping their resources and producing the nectar with the lowest concentration of sugar."
The response happens in just 10 minutes — lightning-fast in plant time. Barbero's team found that hearing pollinators actually triggers genes involved in sugar transport.
While plants don't have ears, they do possess specialized mechanoreceptors that detect air vibrations. Each insect species produces a unique acoustic signature that plants have evolved to recognize.
So next time you're in a garden, say nice things — the plants have a secret life, and they're savvier than we thought.
Lemme know--Thanks
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Carleton North Bay Book Club" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to carleton-north-bay-b...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/carleton-north-bay-book-club/CAKw%2BYPrY91QiEiTubF4TD_KVpQNneCi%2BbwV_TgCcP-%2BduDv6NQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Ruth Sheldon
Kari Hopperstead
Daryl Schilling
On Jul 7, 2025, at 1:36 PM, eve menger <eme...@gmail.com> wrote: