The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[WallyG74]

This is a little girl slurping on some tallow. The tallow flow is upon us in this area. This tree is about 13 miles from my house. I have a large tallow near my bees that isn’t quite at this point. Location matters! The Gulf Coast is a good bit ahead of us. Their bees should be in maximum overdrive now. They are covered up with tallow down in those brackish swamps.

 

[tripletfeb]

This is a little girl slurping on some tallow. The tallow flow is upon us in this area. This tree is about 13 miles from my house. I have a large tallow near my bees that isn’t quite at this point. Location matters! The Gulf Coast is a good bit ahead of us. Their bees should be in maximum overdrive now. They are covered up with tallow down in those brackish swamps.
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How do you know it's a female? Or is it just the females that are the worker bees? I think I heard that before

 

[JacinLarkwell]

How do you know it's a female? Or is it just the females that are the worker bees? I think I heard that before

I think only drones are males

 

[WallyG74]

How do you know it's a female? Or is it just the females that are the worker bees? I think I heard that before

Yes, the workers are all females. As Sparky said, the drones are males and all they do is go look for sex. This feels familiar somehow.

 

[tripletfeb]

Yes, the workers are all females. As Sparky said, the drones are males and all they do is go look for sex. This feels familiar somehow.

I thought males only mated with the queen? Looks like I have lots to learn about bees!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I thought males only mated with the queen? Looks like I have lots to learn about bees!

The queens often go on nuptial flights to start a new hive, I believe. That might just be ants though, I can't remember.

They die after sex though. Quite literally go out with a bang

 

[WallyG74]

I thought males only mated with the queen? Looks like I have lots to learn about bees!

Correct

 

[Sally PB]

Guys, in your next life, you want to be a drone bee. The girls feed you, groom you, clean up after you. You don't have to life a wing! You go out and see if there's a queen bee to hook up with, and if not, go back home.

Now... if you do find a queen and mate, that's IT! You win (pass on your genes), but it's lights out after that. Buh-bye!

If you don't mate with a queen, the girls who took such good care of you are going to throw you out come fall. Buh-bye! You won't live to see the next spring.

 

[WallyG74]

It’s insanely hot here at the end of June. Yesterday evening, I went to check on my bees. I got down next to the hive and they were fanning. It sounded like an old box fan going inside!

 

[Sally PB]

My hive gets shade in the afternoon. It needs it, that's for sure! Right now isn't bad, but we still have 2 months of summer.