Old Bees/ Cold bees/ No bees? Part 1
Introduction to colony collapse; bee respiration; and the effects of shortened forager lifespan.
Aging and Thermoregulation
Old Bees/ Cold bees/ No bees? Part 2
by Randy Oliver One day during his tenure as a professor, Albert Einstein was visited by a student. “The questions on this year’s exam are the same as last year’s!” the young man exclaimed. “Yes,” Einstein answered, “but this year all the answers are different.” Beekeepers today may feel that they are in a similar… Read More »
The Economy of the Hive – Part 1
First published in: American Bee Journal January 2010
Inside the hive there functions a vibrant community, with an economy similar to that of any other society. The bee economy is based upon the harvesting and processing of resources, the trade of products, doting care for the youngsters and parents, wise savings, deficit spending, a hierarchy of jobs, national defense, and an exquisite communication… Read More »
The Economy of the Hive – Part 2
First published in: American Bee Journal February 2010
Last month I described the functions of the main players in the hive economy—the queen, the nurse bees, the foragers, and the “resting” bees. Now let’s look at the main driver for the bee economy—the supply of food. The honey bee economy is based upon the gathering and consumption of four resources (nectar, pollen, propolis,… Read More »
An Adaptable Workforce
First published in: American Bee Journal March 2010
I’d like to return to the analogy of the honey bee colony as being similar to a medium-sized mammal. The combs are analogous to the skeleton, the queen to the ovary, drones to sperms, honey to body fat, and the workers to the individual cells that make up organs. The honey bee superorganism (minus the… Read More »
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool – Part 1
First published in: American Bee Journal April 2010
We humans tend to anthropomorphize animal behavior, which is often just plain silly. The most caring, gentle, nurturing beekeeper can pamper a hive to no end, yet will still have her friendship rewarded with a volley of stings to the face should she move a bit too quickly.
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool – Part 2
First published in: American Bee Journal May 2010
In the first part of this article, I explained how the allotment of the hive labor pool was largely controlled through communication via the process of sharing protein-rich jelly via trophallaxis, plus non-feeding interchange of low volatility “primer” pheromones. I now continue with a summary of our current state of knowledge of the complex process… Read More »
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool – Part 3
First published in: American Bee Journal June 2010
I left you last month in the middle of explaining the current model for colony workforce allocation, and the influence of various primer pheromones. Please allow me to pick up where I left off. (Having trouble hitting the keys with my cold fingers—I’ve just pulled off my wet coveralls, and am trying to revitalize myself… Read More »
The Primer Pheromones, Part 4 – Reproduction and Survival
First published in: American Bee Journal July 2010
Queen Pheromone(s) We humans hear the term “queen” and immediately project all the royal attributes of leadership and omnipotence upon the mother of the colony. But is this really the case? Does the queen bee really “rule” the colony, with the sterile workers acting as subordinate subjects? The feeling that I get is that bee… Read More »
