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Author Topic: Why do the bees do this?  (Read 2497 times)

Offline Joseph Clemens

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Why do the bees do this?
« on: September 13, 2005, 03:53:40 am »
Why do the bees fail to completely cap or open some pupae?


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Joseph Clemens
Beekeeping since 1964
10+ years in Tucson, Arizona
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Offline stilllearning

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Why do the bees do this?
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2005, 07:32:14 am »
I think the pupa have died and they know it , they sense no movement and the dead pupa have a smell if you will mark those uncapped cells, for a short time you will find them empty.
Wayne Cole

Online Michael Bush

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Why do the bees do this?
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2005, 08:20:07 am »
The whole concept of hygenic bees is that they uncap pupae that are not perfect in some way.  If the pupae is infested with mites or infected with some brood disease they uncap and then remove them.

But they have isolated several genes that are tied to that behavior.  Some have to do with uncapping and some have to do with removing.  If a lot of it stays open like that, maybe you have one and not the other.
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Offline Joseph Clemens

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Follow-up
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2005, 10:48:15 am »
Thanks Michael,
I'm going to take a few follow-up photo's and see how the bees have dealt with these.

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Joseph Clemens
Beekeeping since 1964
10+ years in Tucson, Arizona
12+ hives and 15+ nucs
No chemicals -- no treatments of any kind, EVER.

Offline drobbins

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Why do the bees do this?
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2005, 12:09:55 pm »

 

anything