Bee behaving strangely - shaking

NZ_2014

I noticed a bee on the table outside today, and it was also there yesterday or the day before.

Its kind of just walking around the table, and shaking alot.

Hope its okay - I put out some honey on the table for it :pac:

Any bee behaviourologists on here?

Whispered

This bee is displaying classic signs of dominance. You must repeatedly alpha roll the bee until he is in a calm submissive state. Otherwise he will think he is the boss and before you know it you will be catering to his every whim. If alpha rolling doesn't work you could pee on the bee. If he smells of your urine he will accept you as the pack leader.










(Sorry I can't offer any real advice. Maybe the nature forum?)

mikom

NZ_2014 wrote: »

I noticed a bee on the table outside today, and it was also there yesterday or the day before.

Its kind of just walking around the table, and shaking alot.

Probably a Zom-bee.

Arthur Beesley

Did the proposed Beekeeping forum ever come to fruition?

Toulouse

Whispered wrote: »

This bee is displaying classic signs of dominance. You must repeatedly alpha roll the bee until he is in a calm submissive state. Otherwise he will think he is the boss and before you know it you will be catering to his every whim. If alpha rolling doesn't work you could pee on the bee. If he smells of your urine he will accept you as the pack leader.










(Sorry I can't offer any real advice. Maybe the nature forum?)

Hilare!

Zapperzy

I read through the whole first post thinking I seen dog in the title, needless to say I was a tad confused as to why you left a dog on the table with honey :P

No advice for you at all I'm afraid. We had a beehive underground in a flower bed last year, was told not to disturb it in any way as they get lost very easily and can't find their way home, perhaps it's lost!

Qualitymark

a) http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4601415?uid=3738744&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103781322171 The Honey Bee Shaking Signal: Function and Design of a Modulatory Communication Signal

b) Beekeeping questions usually end up here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1511

hfallada

Honey is the worst thing you can give a bee. You could give it a disease that would wipe out the entire colony(american foul brood). Bees only live for a few weeks in the Summer. They so hard, they only live for a short space of time. So the bee may be at the end of its life. The colony can have up to 50,000 bees now, so I wouldnt sweat it about one dying

DBB

People seem to think that bees only produce honey... But it's a little known fact that there is actually a type of bee that makes milk!





































It's called a boobee
:-D

anniehoo

DBB wrote: »

It's called a boobee
:-D

You're on a roll today DBB :pac::pac:

Ambersky

Ive often helped a struggling bee, usually a wet bumble bee (the big hairy ones) with a little rest in a nice dry box and a bottle cap of sugar water. This can be made with a little boiled water and a sprinkling of some sugar.
Maybe the bee is dying and maybe its not but if it drinks the sugar water and is dry and rested it may fly away again.
I like bees in particular in the insect family and hate to see any creature in distress if there is anything I can do to help it.

NZ_2014

The bee buggered off pretty quickly after I gave it some honey.

Surprising that they only live a few weeks, and the Queen lives a few years!

Qualitymark

NZ_2014 wrote: »

The bee buggered off pretty quickly after I gave it some honey.

Surprising that they only live a few weeks, and the Queen lives a few years!

Pfft, that's men for you; get their bit and they're off with themselves.

SC Kevin

Qualitymark wrote: »

Pfft, that's men for you; get their bit and they're off with themselves.

Actually, it was more than likely a worker bee (female) :P

A hive during the summer will have 99% females (workers) and only 1% male (drones)

Drones only do a few things,

They eat all around them
They go out and try and mate
And when they do mate, they die (his bits literally explode in the queen while mating :eek:)

Workers on the other hand, do everything else

They clean cells for the Queen to lay in
They feed the young
They collect pollen/nectar/water/propolis
They defend the hive
They clean and feed the Queen
They do undertaker duties (removing dead bees from the hive)

The ones that dont mate, will be thrown out of the colony at around August/September as mating season is over and they are no longer needed. They will either be killed by wasps or die from the cold.

Thats probably put a smile on a few of the ladies faces now!

SC Kevin

NZ_2014 wrote: »

Surprising that they only live a few weeks, and the Queen lives a few years!

During the summer, worker bees will live for about 6 weeks, they literally work them selves to death. They simply leave the hive one day and dont return. But with the Queen laying up to approx 2000 eggs per day, she wont be missed.

On the other hand, eggs that are laid around September/October will survive for about 6 months to bring the colony through the winter until the Queen starts laying again some time around late February/early March

And yes, the Queen can live for a few years, usually 4-5, after this, her pheramones will start to decrease which the colony will sense and they will then start to make Queen Cells to replace her. However, most beekeepers will change their Queens after 2-3 years as she is at her peak in terms of laying eggs, after this, its down hill im afraid

Whispered

They really are fascinating!

Mad4simmental

New beekeeping foarm in framing if anyone is intrested. Would be good to see it get up and running.

DBB

Mad4simmental wrote: »

New beekeeping foarm in framing if anyone is intrested. Would be good to see it get up and running.

Not a moment before time either! Delighted to hear this, I think it's going to be a seriously busy forum!

anniehoo

Mad4simmental wrote: »

New beekeeping foarm in framing if anyone is intrested. Would be good to see it get up and running.

Shows how awake I was this morning. I went looking for the "Framing" forum :pac::pac:

Kimbot

SC Kevin wrote: »

They go out and try and mate
And when they do mate, they die (his bits literally explode in the queen

Death by snu-snu, that's exactly how I want to go out.

Qualitymark

jonny24ie wrote: »

Death by snu-snu, that's exactly how I want to go out.

But perhaps not by explosion of your frou-frou.