Honey Bees Central Heating

Scientist have discovered that Honey Bees regulate the temperature of their pupae to decide whether they will grow up into worker bees or 'housekeepers'.

Speaking as one who has spent the last nearly three months with only one thing on my mind - keeping warm - I am thinking of applying for a few of these little bees to come and heat up my house


www.dailymail.co.uk...

Scientists have long attributed the success of the honey bee to the division of labour within the hive.
But thermal imaging research for a TV series has identified a previously unknown skill performed by a specialist bee that is vital for a colony's survival.
'Heater bees' use their bodies to provide a 'central heating' system, it has emerged.

The 'heaters' are responsible for maintaining the temperature in the hive where young bees, known as pupae, are sealed into wax cells while they grow into adult bees.
By changing the temperature of each pupa they can determine what kind of bee it will become.
Those kept at 35C mature to become the intelligent forager bees that leave the nest in search of nectar and pollen. Those kept at 34C emerge as 'house keepers'.

Professor Jürgen Tautz, head of the bee group at Germany's Würzburg University, said the heater bees were vital in determining what job the young bee will perform once it matures.
As a result they are able to ensure that there are always enough bees filling each role within the colony - guaranteeing its success.
'The bees are controlling the environment they live in to make sure they can fill a need within the colony,' said Professor Tautz.
'By carefully regulating the temperature of each pupa, they change the way it develops and the likelihood of the role it will fulfil when it emerges as an adult.'
He added: 'By creeping into empty cells, one heater bee can transmit heat to 70 pupae around them. It is a central heating system for the colony.'
Using new technology the scientists were able to record the temperature within bee hives and discover the fascinating new role of the heater bee.
Until now they cited the division of labour within the hive as the secret of honey bees' success.
But the research shows that without its own unique central heating system - provided by the heater bees - they would be nowhere near as successful.
By controlling the temperature within the hive the heater bees determine the roles performed by the young bees in later life and therefore ensure there is never a shortage of skills.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/72ff56760278.jpg[/atsimg]


Article from the Daily Telegraph:
www.telegraph.co.uk...

Thermal imaging cameras reveal how individual heater bees warm up the nest to precisely the right temperature.
By beating the muscles that would normally power their wings, heater bees increase the temperature of their bodies up to 44 degrees C – nearly 10 degrees hotter than a normal bee.
They then crawl into empty cells within the brood nest, transmitting heat to the surrounding cells where the bee pupae are developing. The waxy cells also help circulate the heat around the rest of the hive.
In the past beekeepers have seen these empty cells as undesirable and have attempted to breed queens that did not leave them empty, but Professor Tautz now claims they are an essential part of ensuring the health of a bee colony.
Warmth is essential for bees as they need a body temperature of around 35 degrees C to be able to fly.
The heater bees, which can number from just a few to many hundreds depending on the outside temperature and size of the hive, also press themselves against individual cells to top up the temperature of each pupae to ensure it develops into the right kind of bee.
Professor Tautz added: "The old idea was that the pupae in the brood nest were producing the heat and bees moved in there to keep warm, but what we have seen is that there are adult bees who are responsible to maintaining the temperature.
"They decouple their wings so the muscles run at full power without moving the wings and this allows them to raise their body temperature extremely high.
"Their body temperature can reach up to 44 degrees centigrade. In theory they should cook themselves at that temperature, but somehow they are able to withstand this high temperature.
"By creeping into empty cells, one heater bee can transmit heat to 70 pupae around them. It is a central heating system for the colony.
"Now we know that these empty cells are important, then bee keepers can try to avoid selecting for queens that don't leave these cells empty. It can help to ensure that colonies can regulate their temperature properly and have the right mix of individuals."

I love bees - any sort of bee - and have often rescued them when I've seen them in the road or a footpath. As I understand it, they need to be warm enough in order to fly so I try to find them a safe place in a sunny spot, or put them in a flower.

Another thing that helps them is to put a small container of sugar-water in the garden so they can 'top-up' if food is scarce. The container shouldn't be too deep and a twig can be put across it to ensure the bee has something to cling on to.

Here is an article with info on it. I posted this some time ago in BTS and got a very positive response:
www.dailymail.co.uk...

How do you wake up a tired bee? Give it a sugar buzz, apparently.
Gardeners are being urged to leave out a drink made of sugar and water to help Britain's flagging bee population.
The RSPB has been inundated with calls about the insects lying on the ground, unable to fly.

Busy as a bee: Gardeners have been advised to leave sugary drinks among the flowers in a bid to boost the insects' flagging energy levels
While the bees may appear to be injured, they are more likely to simply be tired out, the wildlife charity said.
As a pick-me-up, it recommends mixing two tablespoons of sugar with a tablespoon of water and placing the homemade 'energy drink' among beefriendly flowers such as sunflowers and buddleia.

[edit on 15-3-2010 by berenike]

In late 2006, something strange began to happen to America's honeybees. Colonies that were once thriving suddenly went still, almost overnight. The worker bees that make hives run simply disappeared, their bodies never to be found. Over the past couple of years, nearly one-third of all honeybee colonies have collapsed this way, which led to a straightforward name for the phenomenon: colony collapse disorder (CCD).

Read more: www.time.com...

Hey there this is my first post , i know this is not totally what your talking about, but what does everyone know about the bees disapearing ? i would like to hear more about it.

reply to post by PoisonUmbrella


Hello, I'm always happy to see first posts on my threads.

Welcome to ATS - I hope we'll bee seeing a lot more of you

Here's a Prison Planet article with some ideas why the bees are dying off. I've chosen this piece because it puts forward a lot of information which might be worth following up:

www.prisonplanet.com...

And here's an article suggesting that mobile phones might be to blame:

www.independent.co.uk...

Also, you can type 'bees' into the ATS search box and there will be several threads to choose from - too many for me to list here

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d82632cd3e9e.jpg[/atsimg]
Picture added because it's adorable.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by berenike]

I'm going to try and start a hive this summer. Lots of info online and also check for your local beekeepers. A few do have websites and meetings each month to share info and sell supplies needed. We live in the country and I've always wanted to try beekeeping. I had an uncle many years ago who always kept bees. Even in the 1950's and 1960's, he knew how important they are for crops and flowers. Any suggestions for do-it-yourself bee projects are welcome, as it seems the starter kits are rather expensive. Most start around $200.00 (U.S.)

reply to post by maybee


It's just an idea, but you might be able to get some help from members in the Survival Forum.

They're always brimming with information and ideas and, from the few times I've participated, they seem a very kind and helpful set of people.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by berenike]

Just went to ehow on yahoo and got a free beehive plan. It has a few parts, but looks rather simple to build. Mostly plywood. Have to be sure to get UNtreated wood. The treated stuff has chems that can kill or harm the bees. For urban and suburban folks, looks like you can attract bees with lots of colorful flowers. Even on small patios or decks, get some flower pots and
'get to planting' - Not only helps the earth, but it feels good (at least for me) to to get your hands dirty and get some fresh air and sunshine. And instant gratification when you add some nice plants and flowers to a sometimes unused space. Very pretty indeed

Here are some beautiful pictures of bees at work in the English countryside:
www.dailymail.co.uk...







There are more pictures in the article than I've posted.

[edit on 16-6-2010 by berenike]