TooBee...
Field Bee
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2017
- Messages
- 583
- Reaction score
- 2
- Location
- Ireland
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2+ nucs
Hi
I thought that the length of a bees tongue (proboscis) no matter what sub-species it was, were all about the same?
However I have read on this website
http://beespoke.info/2014/01/31/carniolan-bee/
that the length of an A M Carnica (same claim is made for Ligustica) proboscis is much longer than I thought it was, reference below:
"It is similar to the Italian bee in that it is a medium sized bee with a long narrow body and limbs and it also has the same long proboscis which enables it to make full use of the red clover – an important forage crop in Europe."
First I didn't realize that 'red' clover was common on the continent, I thought it was a more USA crop, and second, it was my understanding that it's flower was too long for a Honey Bee to collect the Nectar (unless no other pollinators collected the nectar and allowed it to fill to the top, ... which seems unlikely): The only other way I thought the Honey Bee could collect the Nectar from Red Clover was from robbing, but research seems to suggest that it is the Bumble Bee that bites a hole in the side of the flower and then collects the nectar, allowing the Honey Bee to follow afterwards. (Bumble Bees tongues are apparently longer so in theory they can drink from all clovers, and other flowers bees can't).
I did start to try and find the answer myself, but I know that there are people that probably know the answer to this one of the top of their heads, when this member still is Pasting the word ... proboscis
I thought that the length of a bees tongue (proboscis) no matter what sub-species it was, were all about the same?
However I have read on this website
http://beespoke.info/2014/01/31/carniolan-bee/
that the length of an A M Carnica (same claim is made for Ligustica) proboscis is much longer than I thought it was, reference below:
"It is similar to the Italian bee in that it is a medium sized bee with a long narrow body and limbs and it also has the same long proboscis which enables it to make full use of the red clover – an important forage crop in Europe."
First I didn't realize that 'red' clover was common on the continent, I thought it was a more USA crop, and second, it was my understanding that it's flower was too long for a Honey Bee to collect the Nectar (unless no other pollinators collected the nectar and allowed it to fill to the top, ... which seems unlikely): The only other way I thought the Honey Bee could collect the Nectar from Red Clover was from robbing, but research seems to suggest that it is the Bumble Bee that bites a hole in the side of the flower and then collects the nectar, allowing the Honey Bee to follow afterwards. (Bumble Bees tongues are apparently longer so in theory they can drink from all clovers, and other flowers bees can't).
I did start to try and find the answer myself, but I know that there are people that probably know the answer to this one of the top of their heads, when this member still is Pasting the word ... proboscis