Category Archives: Honeybees -interesting stuff

Honeybee Food Foraging : Where? Why? How Far?

I get asked a lot at market: how do you know that the bees actually went to “that” honey. “That” honey may be Buckwheat, Alfalfa/Wildflower, Fireweed/Wildflower, or Wildflowers of particular regions in Washington State.  Really it is all about flight … Continue reading

Posted in Beekeeping, Honeybee Biology, Honeybees -interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Honeybees Smell

Scent means a lot to bees.   They use their sense of smell to check queen quality, sort out friend from foe, locate their hive or new hive after swarming, and find forage. Their sense is so acute that they can … Continue reading

Posted in Honeybee Biology, Honeybees -interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Eyes Have It : Honeybee Eyes

Honeybees have facinating eyes : all five of them.  Two compound eyes on either side of their head, and 3 “extra” eyes on top.  That’s a bit antropromorphic, we humans think of two eyes as being “normal”, but for most … Continue reading

Posted in Honeybees -interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Jaws of Worker Honeybees Differ From Queen Bees

First off, the “jaws” of honeybees are really called mandibles.  “Mandibles” is a lot to get in a header, and they do act as jaws.  The mandibles open side to side rather than up and down like our jaws.  The … Continue reading

Posted in Honeybees -interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Prehistoric Bee Fossils

A tale of three bee fossils: 14 million years ago: honeybees in “North America”, 19 million years ago giant honeybees in “Japan”, 100 million years ago bees in “Burma” Continue reading

Posted in Honeybees -interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do Honeybees Sleep?

How, when, and where honeybees sleep. Research studies sited and linked. How researchers define honey bee sleep. Continue reading

Posted in Honeybees -interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments