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Honey Trivia | |
Helpful Hints | |
Research On Sweet Uses of Honey |
The Antennae
Sensory organs at the tips of the antennae enable foraging bees to discern scents on the body hairs of a scout bee when she returns to hive. This tells foragers what kinds of nectar to expect when they leave the hive. The antennae are the bee's organs of touch. By feeling with her antennae, the worker can determine the size, shape, and thickness of comb cells.
The Eyes
The honeybee has two compound and three simple eyes. The compound eyes are located on each side of the head while the simple eyes are on top of the head. Each compound eye is made up of many hexagonal shaped eyes that can see seperate points in the field of vision. The points, when combined, make a complete picture with clearly defined details.
Bees recognize all the colours that we can discern, except for red which is seen as black. In addition, bees can see three shades of ultra-violet, important colours for bees because many flowers reflect ultra-violet light.
The Wings
Bees have two pairs of wings growing from the thorax. The wings can be hinged together during flight, then unhooked and tucked away while the bee is in the hive. In flight, a bee's wings move 400 times a second. Worker bees use their wings to fan the hive when the temperature is too high. Water is brought into the hive and the fanning action of the wings circulate cool air. The brood (hatching eggs) temperature is maintained at 34-35 degrees Celcius. If the temperature is too low, the bees cluster over the brood area to keep it warm.
The Legs
Three pairs of legs grow from the honeybee's middle section or thorax. Each leg has a pair of claws for grasping onto rough objects and a non-slip sticky pad for landing on smooth surfaces.
The front legs have clusters of hairs that the worker bee uses to brush pollen from her body to the "pollen baskets" that are on her back legs. The front legs have an extra joint and a comb that the bee uses to clean herself.
The middle legs are covered with stiff hairs that help the worker bee brush pollen back to the "pollen baskets" and remove pollen from the baskets upon return to the hive. The legs are also equipped with a spur that is used to dislodge wax flakes from the abdomen. The back legs have "pollen baskets", bare spots surrounded by stiff hairs. The hairs help hold the pollen in place. Nectar is often added to the pollen to make it clump. This makes it easier to transport in the baskets.
The Stinger
Only female bees have a stinger. The queen's sting is straight and has no barbs. The queen only stings rival queens and she does not die after using her sting.
The worker's sting has barbs and cannot be withdrawn from ther body of the enemy. It is ripped away fron the body of the bee, causing her to die shortly after stinging. The worker bee will not sting unless she believes that her or the colony is in danger. Wasp or yellow jacket stings are more common than honeybee stings.
*Courtesy of the National Honey Board *