Food for a bumble bee?

[BolshieBastard]

Dunno but I know we eat bumble bee spit! (Honey.)

[Drewster]

Dunno but I know we eat bumble bee spit! (Honey.)

See post above re confusing Bumble with Honey bees...

but additionally - Honey is NOT Bee spit..... What on earth gave you that idea?

Why (oh why oh why) would any creature store loads and loads (or indeed any) of its own spit...... what possible use would it have for its spit??

[The Wikir Man]

Why (oh why oh why) would any creature store loads and loads (or indeed any) of its own spit...... what possible use would it have for its spit??

Because, if it's honey, it tastes nice.

HTH.

[Drewster]

Because, if it's honey, it tastes nice.

HTH.

But if your spit tastes nice/like honey..... then it tastes nice/like honey.... so nothing to gain by storing it.....
This wonderful nature lark... it doesn't do stuff pointlessly... it does stuff cos there is a benefit (not always individual) in doing it....

[Durbs]

but additionally - Honey is NOT Bee spit..... What on earth gave you that idea?

Its regurgitated from their honey stomachs so is more like Bee puke really.

[Drewster]

Its regurgitated from their honey stomachs so is more like Bee puke really.

OMGawd, FFS etc..... a Bees "Honey Stomach" is not a real Stomach in the sense of being an organ used to digest food....

A bit like a fish has a "Swim bladder" which is not where it stores pish prior to ... well pishing!

Worker Bees (who collect pollen and nectar) need mechanisms to transport these back to the hive.... the nectar is carried in the "Honey Stomach" and then ejected into comb cells back at the hive for conversion into Honey...
The nectar comes out of the "Honey Stomach" as it went in... it hasn't been digested (even partially) and it isn't Honey (its still nectar - a sugar solution of circa 80% water)....

"Honey Stomach" is just an easy to use name (not a biological definition)
a bit like "Queen Substance" or "Queen Phemerone" isn't an exact definition or "Royal Jelly" isn't an accurate term (all bees/larva get fed "Royal Jelly" not just queens) etc etc

[Durbs]

OMGawd, FFS etc..... a Bees "Honey Stomach" is not a real Stomach in the sense of being an organ used to digest food....

Worker Bees (who collect pollen and nectar) need mechanisms to transport these back to the hive.... the nectar is carried in the "Honey Stomach" and then ejected into comb cells back at the hive for conversion into Honey...
The nectar comes out of the "Honey Stomach" as it went in... it hasn't been digested (even partially)

"In the hive the bees use their "honey stomachs" to ingest and regurgitate the nectar a number of times until it is partially digested.The bees work together as a group with the regurgitation and digestion until the product reaches a desired quality."

If you dont believe that, tell Wikipedia, not me!

[BolshieBastard]

See post above re confusing Bumble with Honey bees...

but additionally - Honey is NOT Bee spit..... What on earth gave you that idea?

Why (oh why oh why) would any creature store loads and loads (or indeed any) of its own spit...... what possible use would it have for its spit??

Bees collect pollen and nectar in the spring when most flowers and plants are in bloom. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws (called proboscis) to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their stomachs and carry it to the beehive.

While inside the bee's stomach for about half an hour, the nectar mixes with the proteins and enzymes produced by the bees, converting the nectar into honey. The bees then drop the honey into the beeswax comb, which are hexagonal cells by regurgitating their stomach contents.

To all intents and purposes, that's spit or vomit if you prefer! Take your pick.

[Drewster]

"In the hive the bees use their "honey stomachs" to ingest and regurgitate the nectar a number of times until it is partially digested.The bees work together as a group with the regurgitation and digestion until the product reaches a desired quality."

If you dont believe that, tell Wikipedia, not me!

Oi Wikipedia!! I accuse you of over simplification and the inaccurate use of words............. but thats a slippery slope cos there is a remote possibility that other entries in Wikipedia may not be 100% accurate....

PS Durbs -

[Drewster]

Bees collect pollen and nectar in the spring when most flowers and plants are in bloom. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws (called proboscis) to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their stomachs and carry it to the beehive.

While inside the bee's stomach for about half an hour, the nectar mixes with the proteins and enzymes produced by the bees, converting the nectar into honey. The bees then drop the honey into the beeswax comb, which are hexagonal cells by regurgitating their stomach contents.

To all intents and purposes, that's spit or vomit if you prefer! Take your pick.

According to your "quote" (from I know not where) the bees turn nectar into honey in approx 1/2 hour...... ie "The bees then drop the honey into the beeswax comb" this is just total and absolute Tulip.....

If your definition of "vomit" is anything ejected from a body after being ingested then "to all intents and purposes" you are right..... however I always try to be a little more accurate to "to all intents and purposes"...

as a trite example "You eat Tulip"... because "to all intents and purposes" you eat stuff and then Tulip it...... personally I don't eat Tulip - I can distinguish between "Food" and "Tulip"

Also bees collect both nectar and pollen rather more than "in the spring"...