Bees self sacrificing ability

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jezd

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Anyone heard of bees ability to self sacrifice itself when is senses that it is either ill or diseased, ie rather than spread the illness to the rest of the colony the bees fly off into the distance and dies.

Where did I get this from? this was told to me one Friday evening after more than a few beers but I do remember the conversation.

I don't think I have asked this before and cant find any onsite material.

Cheers

Jezd
 
You can witness this behavior at the alighting board daily during the active season . Bees will exit the hive , and roll down the board and fall off the end ,quite dead !

john Wilkinson
 
I always thought it was probability more than self sacrifice-you often see bees dragging other dead bees out of the hive so some old/ill bees obviously die in the hive but I expect the chances of an older/ill bee dieing while stressfully exerting herself out in the fields are far higher than when shes putting her feet up indoors
 
Evolution in action I think. Darwin initially struggled to explain bee colonies. For example, the worker bee which flies off and dies in the field was never going to breed anyway so how can it pass on this hygenic trait? The answer is to consider the colony as a single organism in which the behaviour of individuals which benefit the whole colony is perpetuated through swarming. The successful colonies will swarm more often, the diseased ones won't or if they do they will dwindle and die. The genes which make good workers are passed on through the queen and drones, not the workers themselves. Evolution once removed, so to speak.
 
Anyone heard of bees ability to self sacrifice itself when is senses that it is either ill or diseased, ie rather than spread the illness to the rest of the colony the bees fly off into the distance and dies.

That needs quite an imagination.

When we think how much bees die during summer day 1000 -2000 a day, do they sacrifice themselves or just die out. If it rainy week, they stay inside and do not die untill in heavy work. Relative few die in the hive and bees try to caryy deand bodies far from the hive.

That I would understand if the bee feels her end is coming, she flyes with high speed against a tree trunk and die without further pains.

What sicknes bees understand? Do bees know that they are sick?

- nosema, they return to the hive. In cold weather they are not able to return.
- they they have lost a sting after stinging, they return to home.
- varroa bees return and with tracheal mites too
-


Urban stories...like it that bees know the own beekeeper and they remember the evil boys.
 
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What sicknes bees understand?

I agree. Any self sacrifice is automatic rather than a result of some thought process or recognition of its condition by an individual bee
 
What sicknes bees understand?

I agree. Any self sacrifice is automatic rather than a result of some thought process or recognition of its condition by an individual bee

Was never suggesting they sit down to mull it over, simply a built in response to protect the greater needs of the colony...I suspect.
 
jezd,
you did write:Anyone heard of bees ability to self sacrifice itself when is senses that it is either ill or diseased
I've never seen anything about ill individuals leaving the hive with any greater frequency, its a very interesting question though I wonder if there has been research on similar lines
All the best
mbc
 
Ok.

So we know that ill bees sacrifice themselves and healthy just die same way like ill, but they do not sacrifice themselves; they merely die under hard work.
 

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