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Author Topic: Odd Bee and Bee behavior  (Read 1706 times)

Offline bwallace23350

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Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« on: March 23, 2017, 10:49:07 am »
I was 40 or 50 yards from my have watching some bees work clover and some odd wildflowers. I then noticed one crawling up a clover flower stem and notices that its wings looked beat up and broken at the end. I wondered how this bee that could not fly got to so far away from the hive. Is this the Winged Deform virus that Varroe carries?
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Offline splitrock

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2017, 12:32:26 pm »
She could have just worn them to the point they didn't work anymore.

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that their wings were good for about 500 miles.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2017, 12:47:51 pm »
As mentioned, her wings were worn out. When she left the hive she was flying on an empty stomach. She filled up on nectar, is now 1 1/2 times her weight and those tattered wings just will not lift her back up.
Hope this helps.
Jim
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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2017, 12:55:16 pm »
These two answers make feel lots better. Just an old work horse bee struggling. Probably should have just put it outs of its misery.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2017, 12:58:42 pm »
She may keep trying to fly until she loses enough water weight to bee able to fly again.
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Offline Aroc

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2017, 01:52:32 pm »
Deformed Wing Virus is very noticeable.  The wings look tiny and shriveled.
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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2017, 02:12:56 pm »
Quote from: Aroc on March 23, 2017, 01:52:32 pm
Deformed Wing Virus is very noticeable.  The wings look tiny and shriveled.

Oh these did not look like that. It looked like they were just battered at the end.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2017, 03:18:34 pm »
Frayed wings on bees that don't have fuzz on the back of their thorax are a sign of old age.  Crumpled wings on a fuzzy bee are a sign of DWV.
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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2017, 03:59:27 pm »
Quote from: Michael Bush on March 23, 2017, 03:18:34 pm
Frayed wings on bees that don't have fuzz on the back of their thorax are a sign of old age.  Crumpled wings on a fuzzy bee are a sign of DWV.

Did not look for the fuzz but these were frayed wings not crumpled.
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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2017, 05:00:57 pm »
Just checked around the same spot where I saw that one bees. I saw another one with tattered wings and a hairless back end. Must be an old bee. This one's wings were a little better and it was still flying working some clover.
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Offline yes2matt

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Re: Odd Bee and Bee behavior
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2017, 11:22:21 am »
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/understanding-colony-buildup-and-decline-part-9b/

The whole series is fantastic, and I think this is the article where he suggests that foragers take heavier and heavier loads til they finally outdo themselves.

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