What does a nurse bee look like?

[tig]

the very young nurses bees don't sting.  the eyes are bigger in proportion to the rest of the body because the body hasn't filled out yet.  as the body enlarges, the eyes remain the same so they appear smaller.  i think it takes about 3 to 5 days before the newly emerged bees can sting. 

next time you inspect your boxes, take out a frame of emerging brood and watch as the bees emerge then you will notice what they look like.  get one of them in your hand and you will see how soft they are and how they can't sting you. it's always been a great pleasure to me to watch the bees emerging and observe their behavior.

if, however i accidentally drop a frame, i have to pick up all the young bees as they can't fly back to the box and will end up as food for the ants.

[rdy-b]

the very young nurses bees don't sting.  the eyes are bigger in proportion to the rest of the body because the body hasn't filled out yet.  as the body enlarges, the eyes remain the same so they appear smaller.  i think it takes about 3 to 5 days before the newly emerged bees can sting. 

next time you inspect your boxes, take out a frame of emerging brood and watch as the bees emerge then you will notice what they look like.  get one of them in your hand and you will see how soft they are and how they can't sting you. it's always been a great pleasure to me to watch the bees emerging and observe their behavior.

if, however i accidentally drop a frame, i have to pick up all the young bees as they can't fly back to the box and will end up as food for the ants.

new born baby bees cant nurse ethier -to young to nurse-RDY-B

[tig]

i'm not sure about if they can nurse because the first thing i've seen them do after emerging is clean the cell they came from.  i have put them in queen cages along with a newly mated queen and they take care of her very well. but as to taking care of eggs and larva....i'm not sure.  when the weather permits i will experiment and see.

[rdy-b]

HIVE AND THE HONEY BEE is my source :lol: three days for milk-nine days for wax-whats your source for the sting development-i havnt found referance-RDY-B

[rdy-b]

found it baby bees Less than one day old cant sting -so they can sting before the glands in there head develop for secreting milk-soo i would venture to say that a nurse bee is three days old and it can sting  -RDY-B

[rdy-b]

;) :lol: 8-)

[DayValleyDahlias]

When you "Make sure there are plenty of nurse bees" you don't look at the bees.  You look at the comb you shake them off of.  If you shake them off of open brood then most of them will be nurse bees.

But the descriptions are accurate.

[/quote

Ah ha..got it!

[Michael Bush]

I can't help picturing some newbee picking through the bees trying to find the fuzzy ones to put in a split...

[rdy-b]

 :) nothing surprises me any more -people get strange notions dont they  8-) RDY-B

[the kid]

this spring Im going to try sting therupy ..  so will take a just emerged bee and see if it will sting ,,,  what the heck Ill get stung one way or another ,,, and Ill learn somthing ,,, 

[Understudy]

I think this is pretty close.  ;)

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Jerrymac]

[tig]

 :lol:   :-D

[DayValleyDahlias]

 :-D  HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[Cindi]

Sharon, I always have my camera in the back pocket of my jeans, almost all summer long.  I take pictures and pictures of the bees.  I took some really cool pictures of the young nurse bees.  Look at this picture, it is very, very plain to see which are the younger, nursing bees.  You will see them, the lighter, fuzzier looking ones, and aren't they just so plain and simply cute!!!!  If you look closely in the picture you can also see larvae, in the shape of the C, there are quite a few nurse bees in this picture.  Hope this will help you to understand how they do look so very differently than their older sisters.  Have the best of a wonderful day.  Cindi

[DayValleyDahlias]

Oh Cindi, wonderful yes yes yes!  This all really helps me tons!  Little bees, I just have fallen in love with them...crazy me eh??

Hugs

[Cindi]

Sharon, nope, not crazy.  You ain't seen nothing yet!!!!  The love of the honeybee goes deep, and gets deeper and deeper and deeper.  I can't believe what craze has overcome me since my first learning the depths of these wonderful creatures of our world.

Look closely at the baby bees.  See how short their abdomens are compared to their wings, then look at the older bee, see the length of the abdomen of them.  That is a work of wonder to see, these baby bees change so much in just three weeks.  Your love of the bee will deepen.  Have a crazy and wonderful day.  Cindi