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Author Topic: Heater Bees  (Read 2929 times)

Offline ProPacific

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Heater Bees
« on: August 26, 2010, 04:33:22 pm »
I was reading an article that states there is a position in a bee hive for "Heater Bees". It says these bees can heat up their bodies 10 degrees Celsius warmer and go into empty cells to warm up larva in surrounding cells. The warmth the larva receives transforms what function the bee will perform in the colony. For example, a bee exposed to 35 degrees will be a forager bee and one exposed to 34 degrees will be a housekeeper bee. How true is this? Im still learning so be gentle if this is absurd! :)

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2010, 04:59:53 pm »
larva temp wont change the cast of the bee-they all start as house bees and then become field bees -
only change to larva is if they are feed royal jelly for a extended period of time they develop what it takes to become a queen
   8-) RDY-B

Offline FRAMEshift

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2010, 05:09:00 pm »
I was reading an article that states there is a position in a bee hive for "Heater Bees".
Can you post a link to this article or tell us where you read it? 
"You never can tell with bees."  --  Winnie-the-Pooh

Offline hardwood

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2010, 05:15:38 pm »
I read this too (sorry, can't remember where) but don't recall the part about feild vs nurses part. The study did state however that there are certain bees within the colony that are able to generate and withstand higher body temps. Evidently these "heater bees" crawl into cells in the brood areas to radiate heat through the brood. This would explain those random empty cells in an otherwise solid frame of brood.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline ProPacific

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2010, 05:27:47 pm »
Here is the article: Heater Bees in the Hive

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2010, 05:38:32 pm »
   HOG Wash- :lol: some kind of left field spin to sell Beekeeping 101
there is no knowlage thre - ;) RDY-B

Offline hardwood

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2010, 06:11:42 pm »
I always grab a few in the winter and put them under the foot end of my comforter...toasty!

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline ProPacific

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2010, 06:15:21 pm »
rdy-b:That's what I thought, just needed to make sure. This was the first time I heard about it.
Scott: thats funny! Im sure they are a better replacement to the hand warmers for ski gloves.

Offline RayMarler

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2010, 03:44:23 am »
Heater bees... please read...

The Buzz about Bees - Biology of a Superorganism
by Prof. Dr. Jurgen Tautz

Chapter 8 - Cultivated Intelligence
Hot Bees and Warm Pupae pages 206-209
The Colony's Incubator pages 209-216

Actually, I really enjoyed the whole book.

Offline splitrock

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2010, 07:04:34 am »
Cool!

I just love learning more about these incredible creatures. I doubt we will ever know it all.

Joel

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2010, 07:34:58 pm »
heres a taste
http://knol.google.com/k/honeybee-biology-life-of-a-superorganism#
Homeostatasis word of the day RDY-B

Offline sarafina

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2010, 11:33:25 am »
I enjoyed the part about the infrared camera detecting the temp difference, but his conclusions are suspect w/o any studies or data to back it up.  He doesn't reference any studies at all, which is poor form unless there aren't any in which case he is stating speculation as fact.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2010, 02:37:10 pm »
  HOG Wash- :lol: some kind of left field spin to sell Beekeeping 101
there is no knowlage thre - ;) RDY-B
For example, a developing bee which is exposed to 35 degrees Celsius will become a forager bee, and a larva exposed to 34 degrees Celsius will become a housekeeper bee. Without the heater bee the entire society and structure of the bee hive would not be able to function in such harmony with each bee carrying out its own specific task and no other.

a colony's success and survival relies on creating a certain number of each type of bee so that all of the functions of the hive are dutifully carried out and life can be sustained. As heat radiates outward from the heater bees the hive is assured that a certain number of each type of bee will be created and in the proper ratios.

this thinking is flawed-Back to the drawing board for him- 8-) RDY-B

Offline iddee

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Offline rdy-b

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Re: Heater Bees
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2010, 06:16:44 pm »

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.

 :lol: such wisdom RDY-B