[Tom Fran]

One of the things that amazes me about these little creatures called bees, is that they build perfect hexagonal cells to store things in. What do you find amazing about bees?

 

[Fogducker]

That nobody has figured out what bee is making the decisions like;

1. This queen sucks, make some new queen cells and then we'll kill her

2. Assignments of work crews and when they "move up" to other duties

3. Design office for cell size and the details like, "that hex thing is working out for max cells per space" also make sure you put slight incline on the cells so the nectar doesn't run out.

4. This space isn't getting it, too small and they're bugging us every other day,
"PREPARE TO SWARM!"

There must be a bee, (it sure isn't the queen), who is running the show and is really good at concealing his identity.

Fog

 

[NasalSponge]

What do you find amazing about bees?

Everything!!

 

[Tom Fran]

Everything!!

I agree that "everything" about them is amazing, but can you give an example of one thing that is particularly amazing to you.

 

[NasalSponge]

As I sit here and watch hundreds of them flying across the yard I ponder:

They are one of the only creatures on the planet that do not destroy or kill anything in their day to day gathering of food, on the contrary, they actually produce food for others as they gather it for themselves (pollination).

 

[Tom Fran]

Fantastic point! I love it!

 

[Tom Fran]

Some amazing bee facts

• It is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.
• Honey bees are environmentally friendly and are vital as pollinators.
• They have 6 legs, 2 eyes, and 2 wings, a nectar pouch, and a stomach.
• The honeybee's wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.
• A honey bee can fly for up to six miles, and as fast as 15 miles per hour, hence it would have to fly around 90,000 miles - three times around the globe - to make one pound of honey.
• The average honey bee will actually make only one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
• It takes about 556 workers to gather 1 pound of honey from about 2 million flowers.
• It takes one ounce of honey to fuel a bee's flight around the world.
• A honey bee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip.
• A colony of bees consists of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one queen.
• Worker honey bees are female, live 6 to 8 weeks and do all the work.
• The queen bee lives for about 2-3 years and is the only bee that lays eggs. She is the busiest in the summer months, when the hive needs to be at its maximum strength, and lays up to 2500 eggs per day.
• The male honey bees are called drones, and they do no work at all, have no stinger, all they do is mating.
• Each honey bee colony has a unique odour for members' identification.
• Only worker bees sting, and only if they feel threatened and they die once they sting. Queens have a stinger, but don't leave the hive to help defend it.
• It is estimated that 1100 honey bee stings are required to be fatal.
• Honey bees communicate with one another by "dancing".
• During winter, honey bees feed on the honey they collected during the warmer months. They form a tight cluster in their hive to keep the queen and themselves warm.

Source

 

[Countryboy]

It is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.

Bumblebees make honey too...and you can eat it.

They have 6 legs, 2 eyes,

Bees have 5 eyes.

 

[CAHighwind]

Just about everything gets me, but mostly it's watching the lil' things zip off, to parts unknown, then come back home. Their little brains must be the size of a crumb, yet they've got a whole GPS system crammed in there.

 

[Tom Fran]

The infinite wisdom of God on display.

 

[Tom Fran]

"that hex thing is working out for max cells per space" also make sure you put slight incline on the cells so the nectar doesn't run out.

Fog,

I have never considered that until you mentioned it. There must be an incline. I examined the piece of comb which I removed yesterday, and that incline was apparent. Amazing.

 

[Tom Fran]

"They have 6 legs, 2 eyes"
Bees have 5 eyes.

Countryboy,

Thanks for the correction That's even more amazing!

 

[Tom Fran]

Just about everything gets me, but mostly it's watching the lil' things zip off, to parts unknown, then come back home. Their little brains must be the size of a crumb, yet they've got a whole GPS system crammed in there.

CAHighwind,

Amazing point! Bees have had GPS navigational equipment long before we ever did.

 

[bradley39482]

ABSOLUTLY tom fran

NO MAN could create such an amazing little creature. only GOD!

 

[bradley39482]

Tom how did u post your pictures on the thread?
thanks
brad

 

[Tom Fran]

Tom how did u post your pictures on the thread?
thanks
brad

Brad,

Before you can post a link to your picture files, you have to first upload them to a image hosting site. These are free sites that allow you to store your pictures online. There are several sites that provide this service, of which these are a few:

• Photobucket
• Flickr
• Tinypic
• Imageshack

Once you've uploaded your pictures to one of these sites, you get a "url" to that picture. The URL is the web address of that file, and it provides a link to your picture. Make sure you set the image for "public" viewing.

After you've done that you can then "embed" the URL in your "reply" on a thread. You do this by clicking on the icon of a mountain with the sun above it on your task bar. It looks like this:

After clicking on this icon, a dialog box pops up. This is where you copy your URL to your picture. Once you've done that, your picture will be there for all of us to enjoy.

One other thing to mention. The limit here on Beesource for your file size is 640x480, so make sure you don't post larger pictures, or they could be removed by the moderators.

Once you get the hang of it, it isn't complicated at all. I hope that helps.

 

[Bee Bliss]

What I find amazing is that the honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly they produce/collect has medicinal and nutritional qualities which benefits mankind. Also, their venom is used in a medicinal manner. Bee venom stimulates the immune system and has many chemicals in it. Some of these chemicals that are present in the venom are ones that we find in our own bodies and brain. Bee venom is used to treat many ailments.

Raw honey helps heal internal/external wounds faster and is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral. Raw honey is excellent on even serious burns. The medical community as a whole does not fully comprehend the medical value of raw honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee bread, beeswax or bee venom, and therefore does not promote it. Sad.

Also, the beeswax bees produce makes clean burning candles..........unlike paraffin candles which are a byproduct of the petroleum industry. Paraffin is gray/black sludge which is bleached and scented. Burning one of those paraffin candles indoors is like running a diesel engine in your home. :no:

Yes, bees are part of God's creation! There are many patron saints for beekeepers and candle makers! Some of those saints were said to be beekeepers. :applause:

 

[Monie]

I'm amazed that the cross section of the cell walls on one side of the comb are smack in the middle of the cell on the opposite side!! How the heck do they do that?? Who is the engineer?? AMAZING!

Bee Bread the smell is amazing. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Propolis (beeswax, tree resin and spit) - amazing

I had a friend make a crack about my sitting next to my hives, watching them come and go, and taking in the scent of the bee bread. "Interesting, aren't they?" she said. "Yes, they are." She was being facetious. I was being serious.

 

[sqkcrk]

There must be a bee, (it sure isn't the queen), who is running the show and is really good at concealing his identity.

Fog

Really? Which part of your circulatory system is in charge? Which part of your digestive system is in charge? Your intestines or your epeglotus?

A colony of bees only looks to us like a bunch of individuals. It's not, it is an organism. That's what is amazing to me.

 

[bradley39482]

thanks tom! :doh: