Module 6

[simoncav]

800km in 3 weeks?

I think you'll find thats 80Km according to my sources....

 

[susbees]

My head hurts! I worry that i'm going to have difficulty remembering all this interesting but not always useful information ....

Still can't start much reading here (let alone revision): always more pressing things to do against deadlines. Depressing. I really, really don't want to have to wait 20 months or so to resit!!

 

[Polyanwood]

I think you'll find thats 80Km according to my sources....

page 36 Gould and Gould Grant
"Workers die after nine days of heavy foraging, or up to three weeks of light-duty collection. The flight muscles simply wear out after about 800 kilometres, usually when the forager is en route to food or on the way back."

What are your sources?

Sending you all positive vibes... I'm feeling the pressure too.

 

[alanf]

page 36 Gould and Gould Grant
"Workers die after nine days of heavy foraging, or up to three weeks of light-duty collection. The flight muscles simply wear out after about 800 kilometres, usually when the forager is en route to food or on the way back."

What are your sources?

Sending you all positive vibes... I'm feeling the pressure too.

Do the numbers make any sense? 800 Km over 9 days is somewhere over 70Km a day. A bee flies at, what?, top speed 20 Km/hour in round numbers. That's 3 and a half hours a day, entirely possible in June when there's 18 or so daylight hours a day. A bee foraging for the usually quoted three weeks could do 800 Km flying less than 2 hours per day. Another way to think of that would be three return trips a day to a source 5 Km away - plus short hops actually foraging.

I can't say what any of the original claims have to back them up but 800 Km seems a lot more likely than 80 Km which a forager would do in 12 minutes a day. 2Km would be a maximum daily range, and we know they do more than that.

Not entirely sure why distance is used, however. It could be related to how far away food sources can be in practice, but with wind speed close to flying time that's going to have a big impact. It would make more sense in assessing wear to use hours flying time, it's what any aircraft engine or airframe uses to set design life and service intervals.

 

[Polyanwood]

I went on line to look for the source research because I am bored of the books. There a a journal Behavioural Ecology that is free online and has quite a lot about honeybee behaviour in it useful for this module.

I'm not sure that surfing counts as revision though.

 

[susbees]

There are a LOT of typos in the number stuff for modules. Drives me nuts.

 

[blackcavebees]

Anyone, got a copy of 2012 exam paper? I thought i had it but only up to 2011 can be found

 

[Neils]

I will try and remember to scan it tonight.

 

[susbees]

Anyone, got a copy of 2012 exam paper? I thought i had it but only up to 2011 can be found

It's on the shop site and will be emailed quickly...

 

[Polyanwood]

I am off work to study and am determined not to waste the day surfing on facebook and bee forums.. except again I find myself here.

 

[Polyanwood]

Anyone know the answer to this please?

Is it only virgin queens that toot and quack or do mated queens do it too sometimes?

 

[Black Comb]

not come across it so far.

 

[itma]

Anyone know the answer to this please?

Is it only virgin queens that toot and quack or do mated queens do it too sometimes?

Isn't this simply a challenge/response to a rival?

Don't think it has anything directly to do with mated status - rather the presence of one or more rivals -- which is very common with virgins and very rare with mated queens.

Just my 2p's worth (or not!)

 

[Easy Beesy]

It's on the shop site and will be emailed quickly...

I ordered and paid for mod2 2012 but it never arrived ....... It's only a quid so not worth complaining but won't be ordering any more

 

[MuswellMetro]

I ordered and paid for mod2 2012 but it never arrived ....... It's only a quid so not worth complaining but won't be ordering any more

happened to a friends as well, turned out their email registered with the shop was wrong...so it disappeared into the ether, you could email them and ask

 

[Black Comb]

Just phone them & tell them, I'm sure they will send it you.

 

[Polyanwood]

Isn't this simply a challenge/response to a rival?

Don't think it has anything directly to do with mated status - rather the presence of one or more rivals -- which is very common with virgins and very rare with mated queens.

Just my 2p's worth (or not!)

Thanks Itma.

I have not found any reference to mated queens making noise, but I wondered if they can or ever do. i guess it is not on the syllabus, so I shoudl stop thining about it.

It seems I still have many more questions than answers

This morning's questions:
1. What is the time window in which virgin queens are sexually mature and can successfully mate? Sources seem to vary and don't quote where they got the information from. Thanks.

 

[Black Comb]

Can start mating at 5 days.
If not mated by 20 (some say 25) days then oviducts harden and sperm not able to migrate to spermatheca.
(Days are days from emergence)
Sorry, no sources, it's all from memory.

 

[Polyanwood]

Thx. Another question?

Davis refers to queen going on mating flight on up to 6 occasions and mating with 15 - 20 drones. Is this 15 - 20 on each flight or 15 - 20 altogether please?

 

[Black Comb]

No, 15 - 20 total, over 3 or 4 flights.