Heater bees !

[Skyhook]

"Probably because it doesnt tally with what beek experts have been telling us."

it's more likely that the information is well known and not new. I don't expect a children's television programme to be doing original research.

Except that every book (except the buzz about bees) tells us that the workers tasks are determined by age, and that (subject to requirements) each bee will carry out each task in turn- cleaning, brood raising, then a couple of weeks foraging before they die.

The programme never claimed to have done the research, just to be reporting it.

 

[drstitson]

Tautz is also unique in reporting that it is not the distance that bees report with their waggle dances but the rate of change of terrain/landmarks as they fly.

if bees fly down patterned tubes they think they've gone further than in plain tubes!!! to bees it doesn't matter as they are not aiming for moving targets!!!

so counting waggles and extrapolating to distance (as done is sussex) is incorrect unless environment around hives is equally complex NOT if you have urban area to south and flat lincolnshire fields to north!!!!

 

[BobH1]

The programme never claimed to have done the research, just to be reporting it.

And that is just my point, someone asked why the programme didn't make more waves in the beek community and my point is that it wasn't new "news"

 

[Skyhook]

And that is just my point, someone asked why the programme didn't make more waves in the beek community and my point is that it wasn't new "news"

OK, perhaps I phrased it badly. I'm not bothered about Richard Hammond, please take my statements as referring to the discovery of the existence of heater bees and thgeir effect, which IS recent.

 

[louiseww]

Excellent, thanks Clare!