sleeping BEEuties

[TallTrees]

Autumnal Bucket

Talking recently about the autumn bucket list ~

This is part of my October must do

Clean my Osmia Rufa  (Red Mason Bees) 

Solitary bees nesting in tubes (or naturally in holes in brickwork/trees etc.)

I keep them as a hobby and they are great early pollinators for apple, pear, plum trees 

They are sweet and gentle do not sting

I take each tube and carefully remove each silk cocoon one by one for cleaning (34 tubes this year)

average bees in tubes 7

Each Cocoon now contains a fully developed bee in hibernation/sleeping for waking up in Spring.

This is one of nature's miracles

I clean them to save as many from pollen mites or may have fly predators putting in their eggs in the tube.

They have a sand bath in kiln dried sand to remove dirt and debris

This year they had a mild bleach bath because they all have to stay in one box so can't

let any other cocoon be infected with anything as I would lose the lot.

Photos of the bees

The female bee puts in a mud plug between each of the cells she puts in pollen and lays her egg. Finally she plugs the end with mud.   It looks impossible to get out but they do.

Everyone having a sand bath

Everyone in clean and ready for Spring in their wood box

See you all in Spring when I put you all out in the release box.

Happiness is Bee Shaped

[Anonymous]

I’ve got to ask.. it’s killing me..

how do you force bees into sand for a bath?

[TallTrees]

Hi @Anonymous

Only when they are sleeping! 

[Anonymous]

So these bees that you’re washing are wrapped in a cocoon? Not bees that are able to fly around etc. and what do you do to them? Roll them around in the sand yourself?

How does it not wake them up? I know it’s a nature body clock thing but surely you go poking a bee too much and it will wake up (bears do)

Sorry if these are stupid questions but I’m intrigued (& confused)

[TallTrees]

Hi @Anonymous

No question is stupid and your query is very interesting.

I definitely would not go poking a bear at any time!

Bears hibernate.

Yes, I roll them around gently in the dry sand until the bits of dirt etc., come off

and they are clean.  They are in the cocoon they spun for themselves

when they were a grub.  I am very careful when cleaning them but the silk cocoon

is quite tough. 

Bees are basically metamorphing ~ when they get to the cocoon stage

they are then waiting for Spring. Programmed yes, but interestingly I

could not say whether they would wake if the right circumstances were to arise ~ 

They are now Temperature sensitive.... i.e.  they need to be kept at

a lowish temperature to maintain their sleep state until Spring.

"Can't shake them to wake them" !!

Their program seems to be

Go through the process to cocoon finished Oct (weather shouldn't be getting warmer ~ hopefully!)

Go through a cold period (known to man as winter!)

Wake when temperature is Spring like!

Now you might hate this ~

If I think the temps are too warm I put them in an insulated box in the bottom of my fridge.

Possibly that is why Scientists are terrified about "global" warming?

Many species are Temperature Sensitive ~ even the Bears!

Having read Autumn Bucket list ~ some Community Members are too!!! 

Thank you for your very interesting query makes me think more about it too.

[Anonymous]

Thank you @TallTrees that’s cleared some of it up for me!

So the adult bees & the female who did all the hard work... where do they hide for the winter? 

[Glory1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Bambino wrote:

With the big chemical companies creating pesticides that kill bees, you are to be commended @TallTrees More people should be doing this. If we kill the bees, the human race dies. I don't know if people are aware of this.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/neonicotinoid-pesticides-slowly-killing-bees

Unfortunately, the idiot masquerading as President of my country is contributing to this too.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-bees-gmo-crops-environment-barack-obama-wildlife-refuges-a8481881.html

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Nicotine kills bees too... who’d have thought?

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Not all that surprising when you think how many humans nicotine has killed or brought near death, in the last 20 years or so.

And I heard the death of the bees will be the death of the human race, but can't remember who from.

[Bambino]

@TallTrees Thought you might be interested in seeing this, if you haven't already: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180123-the-last-beekeepers-of-ethiopias-harenna-forest

I think their technique might be a bit different than yours.:smileywink:

[TallTrees]

Hi @Anonymous

 Query ~ what happens to the females/males after nesting?

There are more females than males in the cocoons when they hatch.

As you said the females make all the nests ~ All the males die shortly

after they mate with the females.

The females work from March/April to end June filling the nesting tubes laying

their precious eggs for the next generation. 

After that they all die there are no Adult  Females or Males left.

They have left the next generation in the tubes.

(That's why  I care for that generation (cocoons)  so that as many as possible survive)

After hatching some of the new bees can get predated by spiders or birds as well, the

more that survive (cocoons)  the more bees for next year.  Building up a good colony that

can survive the rigors and hardships of living.

Thank you for your interesting queries.

[TallTrees]

Hi @Bambino

Thank you!  I have seen something like that in a different location, read with interest looks a bit too

dangerous to attempt!

We wonder why the "Honey Bee" is grumpy!

[Anonymous]

Cheers @TallTrees more answers means more questions..

So what do the females do from June until they die? (How long is it before they die?)

And the males, how long do they last? (The ones that haven’t mated.. or is that impossible due to the ratio of females to males?)

how long does it take from an egg to a grub? and grub to cocoon?

And how do you know when it’s safe to take them from the tubes to give them a bath?