Saw this quote by Michael on a recent post...
"Seeing drone activity is a matter of timing. They all leave about the same time in the afternoon and return the same time in the evening. If you are there during drone "rush hour" you will see a lot of drone activity."
And it got me thinking...What does 24 hours in the life of a bee look like?
Seems like we could look at it all different ways...by bee job...by season...etc.
How would you describe 24 hours in the life of your bees?
24 hours in the life of a wax maker is hanging in a festoon and occasionally going to the edge of the work and attaching a flake of wax and then receiving some more nectar from a forager and festooning some more... a very hectic job...
A nurse bee does the same all day and night, eating bee bread and nectar and feeding open brood.
A guard bee guards the entrance day or night. In the day she will be holding off robbers as well as hornets etc. but at night it's mostly mice and wax moths. But they still have to guard.
A field bee is certainly more circadian. They will start as soon as it's warm and light enough and go back to wherever they were yesterday to get whatever they were getting and continue until the receiver bees reject it (indicating there is enough) or the supply runs out or it gets dark.
Drones fly out in the late morning or early afternoon and return in the late afternoon with the weather and temperature contributing to the decision and they fly to a DCA and circle for queens until they are exhausted and then they fly home.
The queen, lays for a while, rests for a while, lays for a while, all the time being fed and curried.
There's a website that presents stories from the perspective of bees. Some great reading if you've got some time.
http://www.voiceofthehive.com/ (http://www.voiceofthehive.com/)
One of my favorite passages, from "Confessions of an Impractical Beekeeper":
"Every once in a while the voice in my head says they're just insects. Then I beat it into submission and go back to watching the bees. I'll invest my time and energy, materials and emotion as I see fit, without worrying about dollars and sense. Let others collect the problems and prizes of going big. I'm harvesting wonder, and it looks like this year will be a bumper crop."
Michael, and the virgin queen?
>Michael, and the virgin queen?
That depends on which day. First day, she is thinking "starving". Second day, she's looking for rivals to kill. Third day she's exploring the hive. Fourth day she's probably taking short orientation flights. Fifth day, loner orientation flights. Sixth day looking to get some. Seventh day maybe getting some more...
Book worthy posts Michael.
probably a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway. You mentioned that the queen rests alternately, do the workers rest periodically as well?
Reminds me of the empath i told my children i want inscribed on my tombstone [AND ON THIS DAY HE RESTED] :(
>do the workers rest periodically as well?
Yes. If you have an observation hive you will often see bees in a cell and wonder if they are dead. If you look closely you can see them breathe (their body expanding and contracting slightly).
Here's what Huber said:
http://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#beesinrepose (http://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#beesinrepose)
Quote from: Michael Bush on May 23, 2012, 03:10:40 AM
>do the workers rest periodically as well?
Yes. If you have an observation hive you will often see bees in a cell and wonder if they are dead. If you look closely you can see them breathe (their body expanding and contracting slightly).
Here's what Huber said:
http://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#beesinrepose (http://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#beesinrepose)
Thank you MB
Cool thanks
I love the idea that guard bees really do watch over the hive 24x7. Also, the idea of a bee sleeper cell in which they "cat nap" is fun to consider.
Indypartridge, thanks so much for the reference to Voice of the Hive - will definitely have to spend some time checking it out.