In Australia when it gets very hot, the nectar in some flowers ferments and turns into alcohol. Bees that get drunk from the nectar are not allowed back in their hive—guard bees keep them out to prevent them from making the nectar into alcohol honey.

Bees in Australia are Getting Drunk on Fermented Nectar and Being Refused Re-Entry to the Hive

Shitfaced bees are falling from the skies around Parliament House as the silly season gets underway. A number of the boozy insects have been spotted staggering around near the parliamentary building after drinking themselves stupid on fermented nectar, while others have been found dead from what appears to be some kind of alcohol poisoning. As Australian Parliament’s head beekeeper Cormac Farrell explained, the phenomenon is likely a result of sunny days and rising temperatures.

“A few sharp-eyed folk walking have noticed dead & stumbling #bees on the paths around @Aust_Parliament and have asked what is going on,” Farrell wrote on Twitter. “The answer is alcohol! As the weather heats up, the nectar in some Australian flowers will fermen… Continue Reading (2 minute read)