Reply to: Food for a bumble bee?

[Incognito]

Bumble bees are usually solitary, but some species form communities of up to 50 or so. Usually their nests are underground. Wasps and hornets are to be avoided if possible do to the repeat fire on their stings making them trigger happy. My father had a rather large wasp nest in a tree, the pest control guy told him the largest wasp nest he found was so big he couldnt get the nest into the back of his van in one piece.

I had a granny in the Luffwaffe who was excused night flying becuase she was colour blind in one eye.

[Babbage]

Bumble bees are usually solitary, but some species form communities of up to 50 or so. Usually their nests are underground. Wasps and hornets are to be avoided if possible do to the repeat fire on their stings making them trigger happy. My father had a rather large wasp nest in a tree, the pest control guy told him the largest wasp nest he found was so big he couldnt get the nest into the back of his van in one piece.

[Durbs]

Its not from Wiki, I can tell you that.

'Bee puke and other tulip, observations of a c untry gent' by J.R.Durbs?

Some other Bee facts from my book:

- Bees are the only furry insect that can be taught to fetch a stick (with the exception of the Carniolan honey bee, which cant find its own @rse with 5 hands)
- Unique amongst insectum, Bees only have 5 true legs, the sixth being a stump with a whisk attachment.
- When a Bee gets wet, it turns into 2 Bees.

[mudskipper]

.... anyway Cojak, how is your bee? Did he enjoy his bee-feast and fly off happily into the spring sunshine?

[BolshieBastard]

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"...

Its not from Wiki, I can tell you that.

[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"...

[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 -

[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.

[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!

[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]

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]

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....

[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]

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??

[BolshieBastard]

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