Aycheh Al-Chami, Ottawa ON –  A recent study investigating the effects of neuroplasticity due to experience on subsequent learning found that female worker honeybees show a higher degree of learning during their onset of foraging (search for food) compared to female honeybees that have
been foraging for a long time. The study explains this to be due to synaptic pruning, a decrease in synaptic input which optimizes the brain’s ability to learn new information during beginning of foraging.

But, why is it that honeybees seem to lose their learning ability as they forage more? You can read more on this here.