Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on July 13, 2019, 01:59:18 pm
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Was wondering about what bees do in the night or during winter hibernation. Do they sleep, take shifts maybe? or do they just rest?
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This sounds like a question for Tom Seeley! :laugh:
I hope someone can answer your question, Jen.
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Yes.
""I often come across lists of honey bee trivia, and one of the most common assertions is that bees never sleep. “That’s so cool!” I hear people say. “Imagine that!”
But researchers say otherwise. According to Jürgen Tautz in his book The Buzz About Bees, foragers enter a pronounced state of sleep—largely at night and in the hive. However, sometimes they sleep outside the hive as well. In addition, beekeepers and bee photographers the world over have reported seeing bees asleep in flowers. The bees may remain stationary for hours, only to fly away when disturbed.
Tautz describes the phenomenon:
Sleeping bees can be identified by a posture reflecting a lack of muscle tonus, in which the antennae hang down, and the legs are folded beneath the body.""
https://honeybeesuite.com/do-honey-bees-sleep-of-course-they-sleep/
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That is Very Cool, Iddee! Thank you
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Thanks, iddee. I know I have seen bumble bees sleeping 'on the job'. I watched a bumble bee crawl and work her way deep down into a blossom. After she got in as far as she could she became very still. I assumed she was sleeping.
Also, I heard Tom Seeley give a presentation on in-hive activity. He played audio sounds he had recorded. Tom explained that some bees will go around waking other bees by head butting them and making a "beep" sound. Seeley said that meant "Wake Up, Let's Go!" So, I assumed they slept, but didn't have a good quote like iddee.
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Check out the dew on her little head... awe
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=honey+bees+sleeping&view=detail&mid=80B13A9C6230583B4F6E80B13A9C6230583B4F6E&FORM=VIRE&ajf=70
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https://fstoppers.com/animal/photographer-documents-two-bees-sleeping-inside-flower-358392