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Author Topic: Bumblebees have Superintendents  (Read 2220 times)

Offline Understudy

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Bumblebees have Superintendents
« on: January 20, 2007, 08:46:57 am »
http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070119_bumblebee_warm.html

I didn't realize that most bumblebees are cold blooded.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Bumblebees have Superintendents
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2007, 11:24:33 am »
Brendhan.  Now that was an interesting site.  Where on earth do you get your hands on all this stuff.  You post pretty interesting subjects for sure.  I don't read all of them, but most I would say.  Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Bumblebees have Superintendents
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2007, 01:22:56 pm »
All bees are kind of warm blooded and kind of cold blooded.  A group of bees can dislocate their wings and shiver the wing muscles to generate SOME heat.  They can't generate enough heat to keep them selves warm with the temperatures much under 50 F though because their muscles stop working after they get too cold.  So are bees warm blooded?   You don't have to shiver to stay warm unless you get really cold and you can maintain your own body temperature down to a very low outside temperature.  A bee can't do any of those things but the cluster can stay warm down to very cold outside temperatures (even though an individual can't).

The division of labor sounds interesting in a Bumble bee nest.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Bumblebees have Superintendents
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2007, 07:51:38 pm »
All bees are kind of warm blooded and kind of cold blooded.  A group of bees can dislocate their wings and shiver the wing muscles to generate SOME heat.  They can't generate enough heat to keep them selves warm with the temperatures much under 50 F though because their muscles stop working after they get too cold.  So are bees warm blooded?   You don't have to shiver to stay warm unless you get really cold and you can maintain your own body temperature down to a very low outside temperature.  A bee can't do any of those things but the cluster can stay warm down to very cold outside temperatures (even though an individual can't).

The division of labor sounds interesting in a Bumble bee nest.

Wow Michael.  Now that is some interesting information.  I would like to learn more about this aspect of the honeybee.  The thought that they have the ability to dislocate their wings is astounding!!!  Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

 

anything