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Author Topic: What does a nurse bee look like?  (Read 15650 times)

Offline DayValleyDahlias

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What does a nurse bee look like?
« on: January 17, 2008, 04:39:02 pm »
"Make sure there are plenty of nurse bees"  How can I determine..who a nurse bee is?

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2008, 05:24:26 pm »
the ones attending the brood.

Offline tig

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2008, 07:42:53 pm »
they are lighter in color, the eyes are bigger, have a fuzzy appearance, soft bodies and cannot sting you.

Offline JP

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2008, 09:15:04 pm »
they are lighter in color, the eyes are bigger, have a fuzzy appearance, soft bodies and cannot sting you.

Tig, Dayvalley was asking about nurse bees, not drones.

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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2008, 09:19:15 pm »
If you shake bees off of open brood, most will be nurse bees.
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2008, 09:36:51 pm »
nurse bees are the newly hatched and young bees-the way you make sure you have plenty of nurse bees is to always have available brood of all stages to maintain the supply of young nurse bees---very beneficial to the success of your colony- RDY-B

Offline tig

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2008, 10:05:34 pm »
JP i was describing the young nurse bees.  they don't sting and look like what i said.

Offline Moonshae

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2008, 10:10:28 pm »
JP i was describing the young nurse bees.  they don't sting and look like what i said.

I've never heard that workers' eyes get smaller as they mature.
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Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2008, 10:17:23 pm »
 Hmmm..I thought only the drones couldnt sting as their "Things" are developed into "mating tools" and i thought ALL other bees but the queen had their "Egg laying parts" converted into stingers when they were babies.
Did i learn something new tonite?
your friend,
john

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2008, 10:18:16 pm »
they are lighter in color, the eyes are bigger, have a fuzzy appearance, soft bodies and cannot sting you.
 to bad it is not that easy -they can sting- 8-) RDY-B

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2008, 10:22:08 pm »
Hmmm..I thought only the drones couldn't sting as their "Things" are developed into "mating tools" and i thought ALL other bees but the queen had their "Egg laying parts" converted into stingers when they were babies.
Did i learn something new tonight?
your friend,
john
dont think theirs any developing or converting taking place ether  :shock: :-D ;) RDY-B

Offline the kid

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2008, 10:30:21 pm »
I am in the undersanding only the drone can not sting ,,,    
in that case if you took a frame of capped brood only no other bees
put them in a nuc ,, when they emerged .. you could take a hand full
of the bees in your hand and squeeze ,,,, with out getting stung ......
that I want to see you do ,,  
how old befor they can sting???????
reason I say this is ,,I have never seen this in any book ,,
or ever heard it
I know Im a greener then grass 2 year keeper ,,,, but
the kid

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2008, 10:53:43 pm »
Lol!!
Ok, how 'bout "selective genetic outcome" instead of developed and converted?
I got caught up in the moment trying to keep this family oriented and simple for people like me.
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john

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2008, 10:59:19 pm »
laying workers lay eggs and sting   ;)  "selective genetic outcome" :lol:  sold for a dollar RDY-B

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2008, 11:16:42 pm »
Good deal RDB-Y!!
send me a twenty and i'll mail back your change!
this is what friends are all about!
your friend,
john

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2008, 11:50:26 pm »
"Make sure there are plenty of nurse bees"  How can I determine..who a nurse bee is?

They usually have a funny cap and a stethascope around their necks and a thermometer in one hand.
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Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2008, 01:35:05 am »
Oh dear goodness Brian !

Offline NWIN Beekeeper

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #17 on: January 18, 2008, 04:03:59 am »
[they are lighter in color]

They have more hair so they appear more yellow, but there isn't a color change as they age.

[the eyes are bigger]

I have not noticed a difference in size.
I have noticed a few old field bees with bi-focals or cataract sunglasses.  8-)

[have a fuzzy appearance]

This is totally true.

[soft bodies and cannot sting you]

For a couple days as the exoskeleton hardens.
I have read that the make up the stinger has to cure and harden too.
But bees can bee nurse bees for weeks (this is only a matter of a few days).
Young bees don't serve as guard bees until they get older (past the nurse stage).
So, young bees tend not to be as defensive of the hive, but will sting if crushed.
So all in all, nurse bees can sting, but normally won't.

To keeps young bees from fouling the brood cells, their digestive tract and rear end are some of the last parts to be developed. The stinger has attachment to the gut muscles.
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Offline CBEE

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2008, 09:08:08 am »
Brian beat me to it  :-D

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2008, 07:50:28 pm »
When you "Make sure there are plenty of nurse bees" you don't look at the bees.  You look at the comb you shake them off of.  If you shake them off of open brood then most of them will be nurse bees.

But the descriptions are accurate.
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Offline tig

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2008, 08:58:54 pm »
the very young nurses bees don't sting.  the eyes are bigger in proportion to the rest of the body because the body hasn't filled out yet.  as the body enlarges, the eyes remain the same so they appear smaller.  i think it takes about 3 to 5 days before the newly emerged bees can sting. 

next time you inspect your boxes, take out a frame of emerging brood and watch as the bees emerge then you will notice what they look like.  get one of them in your hand and you will see how soft they are and how they can't sting you. it's always been a great pleasure to me to watch the bees emerging and observe their behavior.

if, however i accidentally drop a frame, i have to pick up all the young bees as they can't fly back to the box and will end up as food for the ants.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #21 on: January 18, 2008, 09:39:48 pm »
the very young nurses bees don't sting.  the eyes are bigger in proportion to the rest of the body because the body hasn't filled out yet.  as the body enlarges, the eyes remain the same so they appear smaller.  i think it takes about 3 to 5 days before the newly emerged bees can sting. 

next time you inspect your boxes, take out a frame of emerging brood and watch as the bees emerge then you will notice what they look like.  get one of them in your hand and you will see how soft they are and how they can't sting you. it's always been a great pleasure to me to watch the bees emerging and observe their behavior.

if, however i accidentally drop a frame, i have to pick up all the young bees as they can't fly back to the box and will end up as food for the ants.
   new born baby bees cant nurse ethier -to young to nurse-RDY-B

Offline tig

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #22 on: January 18, 2008, 10:01:00 pm »
i'm not sure about if they can nurse because the first thing i've seen them do after emerging is clean the cell they came from.  i have put them in queen cages along with a newly mated queen and they take care of her very well. but as to taking care of eggs and larva....i'm not sure.  when the weather permits i will experiment and see.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #23 on: January 18, 2008, 10:18:10 pm »
HIVE AND THE HONEY BEE is my source :lol: three days for milk-nine days for wax-whats your source for the sting development-i havnt found referance-RDY-B

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #24 on: January 18, 2008, 10:39:53 pm »
found it baby bees Less than one day old cant sting -so they can sting before the glands in there head develop for secreting milk-soo i would venture to say that a nurse bee is three days old and it can sting    -RDY-B

Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #25 on: January 18, 2008, 10:44:27 pm »
;) :lol: 8-)

Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #26 on: January 18, 2008, 11:38:36 pm »
When you "Make sure there are plenty of nurse bees" you don't look at the bees.  You look at the comb you shake them off of.  If you shake them off of open brood then most of them will be nurse bees.

But the descriptions are accurate.

[/quote

Ah ha..got it!

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #27 on: January 19, 2008, 11:40:40 am »
I can't help picturing some newbee picking through the bees trying to find the fuzzy ones to put in a split...
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #28 on: January 19, 2008, 01:59:47 pm »
 :) nothing surprises me any more -people get strange notions dont they  8-) RDY-B

Offline the kid

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #29 on: January 19, 2008, 10:19:12 pm »
this spring Im going to try sting therupy ..  so will take a just emerged bee and see if it will sting ,,,  what the heck Ill get stung one way or another ,,, and Ill learn somthing ,,, 

Offline Understudy

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #30 on: January 20, 2008, 02:04:43 pm »


I think this is pretty close.  ;)

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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #31 on: January 20, 2008, 02:16:20 pm »
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

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Offline tig

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #32 on: January 20, 2008, 06:36:08 pm »
 :lol:   :-D

Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #33 on: January 20, 2008, 07:25:30 pm »
 :-D  HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Offline Cindi

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #34 on: January 21, 2008, 12:14:07 am »
Sharon, I always have my camera in the back pocket of my jeans, almost all summer long.  I take pictures and pictures of the bees.  I took some really cool pictures of the young nurse bees.  Look at this picture, it is very, very plain to see which are the younger, nursing bees.  You will see them, the lighter, fuzzier looking ones, and aren't they just so plain and simply cute!!!!  If you look closely in the picture you can also see larvae, in the shape of the C, there are quite a few nurse bees in this picture.  Hope this will help you to understand how they do look so very differently than their older sisters.  Have the best of a wonderful day.  Cindi

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Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #35 on: January 21, 2008, 11:41:40 am »
Oh Cindi, wonderful yes yes yes!  This all really helps me tons!  Little bees, I just have fallen in love with them...crazy me eh??

Hugs

Offline Cindi

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Re: What does a nurse bee look like?
« Reply #36 on: January 21, 2008, 10:40:49 pm »
Sharon, nope, not crazy.  You ain't seen nothing yet!!!!  The love of the honeybee goes deep, and gets deeper and deeper and deeper.  I can't believe what craze has overcome me since my first learning the depths of these wonderful creatures of our world.

Look closely at the baby bees.  See how short their abdomens are compared to their wings, then look at the older bee, see the length of the abdomen of them.  That is a work of wonder to see, these baby bees change so much in just three weeks.  Your love of the bee will deepen.  Have a crazy and wonderful 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

 

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