beekeeping vocabulary used wrong

**bettinacharlotta** · 01-15-2008, 08:06 PM

Until I actually became interested in beekeeping, I'd heard that the workers in a bee hive are called drones. I've heard that multiple times in the past. Now I know drones are only the male bees. I don't know if people had confused the two or what. I've also noticed that in many cartoons honey bee hives are shown as what looks like a honey/light brown colored paper wasp nest. Then again most cartoons get a lot of stuff wrong (like the show barnyard, why does a male cow have udders?). Has anyone else noticed these things? These (and other things) seem to be a result of common human ignorance. Like my dad says, common sense really isn't that common.

**BigDaddyDS** · 01-15-2008, 08:45 PM

Personally, I don't let too much like that get to me.

Maybe I'd be a little upset if I were relying on the cartoon Barnyard to teach me something. But, then again, if I were taught something by watching a cartoon of that type, it'd upset me anyhow.

In my opinion, entertainment should be entertainment. At MOST, a cartoon for kids should MAYBE spark an interest in (insert topic here) for children. And, unfortunately, cartoons with "messages" like that are ignored or even hated by children.

And, while I loved Bugs Bunny cartoons, I would have been disgusted at an "anatomically correct" Porky Pig. (He didn't wear pant, you know.)

DS

**Troutsqueezer** · 01-15-2008, 08:50 PM

I think if you go see the "Bee Movie" you'll see the Pollen Jocks do all the work and they are male, just like Barry the Bee, star of the movie. Doesn't help folks understand bees much does it? Oh well, you can be the expert on the subject when talking with your non-beekeeping buddies.

**riverrat** · 01-16-2008, 05:46 AM

Now you went and done it. Your saying the cartons we grew up on was not correct. Talk about ruining my childhood.

When it comes to cartoons they are just that cartoons. A paper wasp nest looks more appealing to a 3 year old than a white box or hole in the tree. However If I remember growing up Ole Yogi and Boo Boo had it right robbing bee trees. But then again the bees flew backwards with there stingers extended to sting. I guess things just aint what they seam

**dcross** · 01-16-2008, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyDS

And, while I loved Bugs Bunny cartoons, I would have been disgusted at an "anatomically correct" Porky Pig. (He didn't wear pant, you know.)

DS

But when he got out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist! Or was that Donald?

**bettinacharlotta** · 01-16-2008, 09:15 AM

I was thinking of bee movie too. I just like logic and facts. There's too many people that are ignorant about what would seem to be common knowledge (read some Darwin awards). Maybe if cartoons were a little more realistic, kids would learn more. I'm fine with something like Porky or even a vegetarian shark (shark tales was it?), but some things just get a bit strange. We need more channels like Animal Planet or Discovery. Let the people learn the facts.

**Michael Bush** · 01-17-2008, 07:51 PM

I remember some late night talk show host making fun of their guest for saying that cows had horns and the talk show host was convinced that only bulls have horns...

Some people just don't know much...

Did you ever notice that Bambi's mom is a deer but his dad is an elk?

**BEES4U** · 01-17-2008, 08:47 PM

Here is a common misnomer: My bees have hatched out of their cells.
The queen lays the egg.
The egg hatches.
The larvae goes through stages of metamorphoses.
The baby bee emerges from the cell. Hopefully with out mites!
HERE IS ONE TO THINK ABOUT. DRONES DO NOT HAVE A FATHER. INSTEAD, THEY HAVE A____________.

Ernie
BEES4U

**bluegrass** · 01-18-2008, 05:46 AM

The term drone implies that they are a genetic copy of the parent, They are infact clones of the queen.

**Hobie** · 01-18-2008, 05:56 AM

About drones: Although I accept the fact, I just can't wrap my brain around it. A drone can't really be a clone, or else it would be an egg-laying-capable queen, right?

The whole concept of an unfertilized egg (female genetics only) can only become male , while a fertilized (male + female genetics) can only become female, just boggles my mind. I admit I need to do more reading to understand. It does not seem to make sense, but it amazes (and humbles) me to see that Nature accomplishes these things.

**BEES4U** · 01-18-2008, 06:02 AM

In the days of old beekeeping history we would judge a potential breeder queen by phenotypic, color & other, observation. Color of her progeny was used to determine her mating .

Ernie

**PerryBee** · 01-18-2008, 06:08 AM

BEES4U.... Grandfather !!

**bluegrass** · 01-18-2008, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Hobie

About drones: Although I accept the fact, I just can't wrap my brain around it. A drone can't really be a clone, or else it would be an egg-laying-capable queen, right?

Just like in humans the male determines the sex, the difference is that in bees the lack of, or presence of, determines the sex. The egg laying female part comes from the male, so the drones have it as an un-expressed gene which they pass to their daughters.

The term is parthenogenesis, it's not all that un-common in non-mammals.

**Hobie** · 01-18-2008, 08:16 AM

Fascinating! Thanks...

GB · 01-18-2008, 10:34 AM

should'nt this read.......
beekeeping vocabulary used wrongly

**bettinacharlotta** · 01-18-2008, 10:42 AM

or incorrectly. oops.

**Elsa** · 01-18-2008, 02:56 PM

The Bee Movie bugged me too. Talk about sexist! And I'm thinking for the real worker bees, not just gals.

Other ones:

"Barnyard"... A Holstien bull shown with an udder! Creeps me out.

Coke commercials & other with the same...

With the exception of a Zoo... Polar Bears and Penguins don't ever meet! Polar Bears live only in the Arctic - the NORTH Polar region. Penguins in the Antarctic. 'Been to both and 'seen 'em both.

Bit o' "useless information for the day":

When properly motivated, and Adelie penguin can make 8kts over the ice.

~Elsa

**bettinacharlotta** · 01-20-2008, 10:08 PM

Oh I was just thinking of the Coke commercial the other day. We saw it on TV, (though I've seen it before, I really never thought about it) and my dad said "Why doesn't the polar bear eat the penguins?" Well I said it was just a commercial, but then I noticed that polar bears wouldn't eat a penguin anyway (at least not in their natural habitat).
Another thing that bothers me is that birds in cartoons are often given teeth. Sure I still watch shows that don't make sense like that, but then I make fun of them at the same time.

I wonder what I'd know about animals and nature if I just watched cartoons. I've always loved Discovery and Animal Planet. Even years ago in elementary school I could answer most animal related questions. Once a second grade teacher came to me (I was in third) to ask me about coatis. Most people have probably never heard of one.
I hear all kinds of misinformation all the time about a lot of stuff. I would love to correct the people, spread the knowledge, but people don't like that and I don't really like talking to people I don't know either. So I just have to laugh at the ignorance of the common human.

**kopeck** · 01-21-2008, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by Michael Bush

I remember some late night talk show host making fun of their guest for saying that cows had horns and the talk show host was convinced that only bulls have horns...

Some people just don't know much...

Did you ever notice that Bambi's mom is a deer but his dad is an elk?

My Grandparents used to run an Agway. It was run out of a barn, feed on one side cattle on the other. People used to bring their kids over to see the cattle all the time and point out how any Bulls we had (Herefords). Some wouldn't even believe us when we told them they where cows, and yes they did have horns...

Not sure where it came from but it always struck me as funny.

K