Honey Bee........ just chillin

[HillBill]

There were a few honey bees floating about this morning... it was warm, it was sunny... a lovely morning.

Around lunchtime the temp really dropped, it got pretty cold here.

This little fella came into the house..... thought i'd leave him be. Forgot all about him.

About 10 mins ago it came and sat at the side of me... so i got the camera out.... not used macro mode for a while... so tried a few angles... none of them altered in any way... i think the last two are very nice pics... so thought i would show you guys

 

[British Red]

They are very nice indeed - and he is a she

 

[HillBill]

How does one tell male from female Red?

 

[sunndog]

The women do all the work and the fellas just get used and abused lol

If its out collecting pollen then its a worker, all female. Females are also the smallest in the hive

 

[Clouston98]

The males are called drones Mark, they're much bigger than the females - big fat dopy things really and they don't sting either. They just stay in the hive and mate with the queen and then die. I quite like them actually quite easy to spot when you see them and they're fat not slender like the queen is .

 

[Goatboy]

Cool photographs, but the bee is trying to tell you something. It's saying "HillBill, make LOTR replicas but only the sword called Sting".

Cheers for sharing.

 

[British Red]

Actually the drones (males) do leave the hive - they hang out in a "drone area" where virgin queens go to be mated. The act of mating kills the drone as it happens (by tearing off its genitalia).

Drones are squatter, have larger eyes and are larger in size than workers (un mated females). Queens (mated females) are generally larger again (or at least longer)

At this time of year, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that there are any males left alive. The workers bite the wings off the drones and kick them out of the hive where they starve or freeze to death. New drones are laid in the spring by the queen.

 

[Clouston98]

Actually the drones (males) do leave the hive - they hang out in a "drone area" where virgin queens go to be mated. The act of mating kills the drone as it happens (by tearing off its genitalia).

Drones are squatter, have larger eyes and are larger in size than workers (un mated females). Queens (mated females) are generally larger again (or at least longer)

At this time of year, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that there are any males left alive. The workers bite the wings off the drones and kick them out of the hive where they starve or freeze to death. New drones are laid in the spring by the queen.

You learn something new... As the saying goes .

 

[woodsorrel]

How does one tell male from female Red?

I employ a slightly different method. I observe them for a while to see which bathroom they go into.

- Woodsorrel

 

[homesicksteve]

I've fed one honey before, it seemed pleased.

 

[HillBill]

This one did too.... it was pretty weak this morning, so i gave it honey... it spent 15 mins with the honey, had a wash, sat in the sun for half hour and flew off.

 

[British Red]

I know it seems the right thing to do to feed bees honey, but the beekeepers in your area will ask you not to. Honey is a disease vector and feeding a bee honey can mean it takes the disease back to its colony.

I you want to feed a bee, plain white sugar (never brown, demerara or muscovado) made in a 1:1 ratio with water is best - serve at blood temperature.

The reality is most bee colonies will reduce their numbers by about 80% at this time of year keeping a small number of workers through the Winter and breeding up again in the Spring. This ensures their stores last out the Winter.

 

[homesicksteve]

I know it seems the right thing to do to feed bees honey, but the beekeepers in your area will ask you not to. Honey is a disease vector and feeding a bee honey can mean it takes the disease back to its colony.

I you want to feed a bee, plain white sugar (never brown, demerara or muscovado) made in a 1:1 ratio with water is best...

Thanks, didn't realise that. How about golden syrup ?

 

[HillBill]

We have no bee keepers in our area that i know of. Didn't know that though... cheers

Just curious... why White sugar and none of the others? I'd figure the highly processed nature of white sugar would be worse for them than the more natural sugars you mention.?

I know it seems the right thing to do to feed bees honey, but the beekeepers in your area will ask you not to. Honey is a disease vector and feeding a bee honey can mean it takes the disease back to its colony.

I you want to feed a bee, plain white sugar (never brown, demerara or muscovado) made in a 1:1 ratio with water is best - serve at blood temperature.

The reality is most bee colonies will reduce their numbers by about 80% at this time of year keeping a small number of workers through the Winter and breeding up again in the Spring. This ensures their stores last out the Winter.

 

[British Red]

Any of the less refined sugars give honey bees diarrhoea - often to a fatal degree.

If you see honey bees, it is near certain there is a hive within a three mile radius - there are no truly wild honey bees left in Britain. There are occasionally feral colonies (swarms that have set up home outside a hive) but, since the advent of Varoa, they rarely survive for more than a year or two since the Varoa mites weaken them and they succumb to a number of end causes.

I didn't know about the honey thing either - until I started keeping bees!

 

[brancho]

Those shots are of a Hover fly which actually a Drone fly which is a bee mimic. The eye shape is wrong and it has no antenae.

Here is a drone fly close up

Drone-fly by alf.branch, on Flickr

Hover fly on Sedum 2 by alf.branch, on Flickr

Here is a honey bee

Bee on Sedum by alf.branch, on Flickr

Honey-bee-on-sedum-2 by alf.branch, on Flickr

Honey-bee-on-sedum by alf.branch, on Flickr

 

[British Red]

He's right and all

 

[weekender]

I love this forum it's a proper education. 😊 and the similarities between drone fly and Bee are uncanny. Fantastic pictures as well from everyone. Thanks


Sent from somewhere?

 

[HillBill]

Good call Alf.