Who founded the remarkable Waggle dance of the honey bee
Karl von Frisch's research was foundational in our understanding of bee communication, and without his work, we’d indeed know much less about the intricate ways bees interact. His pioneering studies, particularly on the "waggle dance," demonstrated that bees communicate complex information about the location of food sources to other members of their hive.
Here's a closer look at his contributions:
1. The Waggle Dance
Von Frisch discovered that when a forager bee finds a good source of nectar or pollen, it returns to the hive and performs a series of movements, now famously known as the "waggle dance."
The dance involves a figure-eight motion, with the bee "waggling" in a straight line. The direction of the waggle indicates the direction of the food source relative to the sun, and the duration of the waggle indicates the distance.
This was revolutionary because it showed that bees could convey precise spatial information, something that was previously thought beyond insect capability.
2. Chemical and Sound Signals
Von Frisch also discovered that bees use pheromones and sound to communicate within the hive. For example, a queen bee releases specific pheromones to maintain social order and signal her presence to worker bees.
These chemical cues help regulate various social functions in the hive, such as foraging, reproduction, and defense.
3. Color Vision and Senses
Beyond communication, von Frisch demonstrated that bees have color vision, being able to see ultraviolet light and distinguish between different flowers. This sensory perception allows them to identify high-quality food sources and navigate their environment with remarkable precision.
Von Frisch’s discoveries laid the groundwork for behavioral ecology and animal communication studies, impacting not only entomology but also broader biological disciplines. His work earned him a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1973, shared with Konrad
On top of the roof of Qv1 looking down at Perth CBD , sorting and pulling honey of the hives Busy day pulling honey from the rooftop hives! 🍯 The view from up here on top of QV1 is amazing. 🤩 Perth CBD looks so different from this angle. QV1 patrons Can't wait to try this fresh honey. 😋 #citybeekeeping #urbanhoney #perthlife #qv1 #perthcbd #perth
DID YOU KNOW BEES ROAR?
A bee hive is a fascinating structure built by honeybees, serving as their home and a complex social environment. When a hive becomes queenless, the dynamics shift dramatically. Worker bees often emit a loud, vibrating sound known as a “roar” as a form of communication and distress. This roar signals their confusion and urgency, reflecting the critical role the queen plays in maintaining order within the colony. Without her, the bees struggle to coordinate their activities, leading to heightened tension and a call for immediate action to remedy the situation, either by raising a new queen.
We have an exciting new honey ‘The wild one’ soon to come! Keep an eye out 🍯
Watch as we setup at the Freo Farmers Market.🐝
Another beautiful day at the Freo Farmers Market showcasing our new pink bits honey.👨🌾🐝🍯
#savethebeessavetheworld
Festooning is a behavior seen in honeybees, where they form a living chain by holding onto each other with their legs, typically inside the hive. This behavior often occurs when bees are building or repairing their comb. It's believed that festooning helps them measure distances and maintain the proper structure for the comb cells. Bees produce beeswax using special glands located on the underside of their abdomens. These glands secrete tiny wax flakes, which the bees then chew and mold to create the honeycomb's hexagonal cells. These wax structures serve as storage for honey, pollen, and as a nursery for their larvae. Bees need a diet rich in nectar to produce wax, which is energy-intensive and requires warm temperatures for wax secretion.
Here in Australia its spring and this is when many virgin queens are born and many queen bees must make the mating flight .
The mating process between a drone bee and a queen bee is a remarkable event that occurs during the queen's nuptial flight. When a queen bee reaches maturity, she leaves the hive and flies to a designated mating area known as a "drone congregation area." Here, male drone bees, whose sole purpose is to mate, chase after the queen. During flight, the fastest and strongest drones catch up to her. A drone will latch onto the queen mid-flight, and mating takes place as he transfers his genetic material. After mating, the drone’s reproductive organs detach, and the drone dies shortly after. This process repeats with several drones during the queen's flight, ensuring genetic diversity in the colony. The queen stores the sperm collected during this flight in a specialized organ called the spermatheca, which she will use to fertilize eggs throughout her life, laying up to 1,500 eggs per day.
bee swarm rescue
Bees moving into there new home , another swarm rescued
Moving swarm out of a chest box in my hive
