Eye wiping

[Beeconcerned]

Some bees stop briefly to wipe their eyes at the hive entrance.

Is it just a reflex response of 'blimey, it's bright out there' or has it got some deeper significance? And why only some?

 

[Michael Palmer]

http://honeybeesuite.com/keeping-antennae-shiny-and-clean/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3isTvP3dc8

 

[pargyle]

http://honeybeesuite.com/keeping-antennae-shiny-and-clean/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3isTvP3dc8

I've often watched mine doing exactly that - sometimes using their rear legs to tidy up body hairs as well I think - that's a nice little video of one cleaning herself up.

 

[REDWOOD]

Great to watch them doing that, and if you look closely at bees covered in pollen entering the hive and clean bees leaving you must have Hygienic bees or are all bees hygienic because they don't have a large amount of genes to defend themselves against diseases.
Another great experiment to see if your bees are Hygienic, drop a leaf into the hive and shut it up. I'll bet the leaf is out of the entrance before you walk away.

Bees are cleaner than some beekeepers I've seen, no wonder bees end up having problems.

 

[chrisb]

my girls are hygienic, i can tell by all the bits of wrapping from the fondant they have had lying all over the floor outside the hive...lol

 

[Beeconcerned]

I was asking about eye wiping rather than antenna cleaning, although both are sometimes combined in a single swipe.
This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-91iFabsHrQ&feature=youtu.be
Is what I mean.
Even if there is no opportunity for this cleaning on the comb, the bee has walked down through the hive (in my case through an empty bottom box), giving plenty of opportunity for grooming. But it waits until it reaches the entrance to perform this quick cleaning action. This is why I was wondering if it is a reaction to light?

 

[Michael Palmer]

not a honey bee

 

[psafloyd]

Some bees stop briefly to wipe their eyes at the hive entrance.

Is it just a reflex response of 'blimey, it's bright out there' or has it got some deeper significance? And why only some?

I bet you;d polish your shoes and comb your hair if you were visiting the queen...