Small bees

[lebouche]

Hi,
Saw some small bees yesterday, much smaller than the rest in the hive.
They were likkle and furry. DO they still grow after being hatched or are they probably malformed ones which had their cells stunted by the string I had around the cut out comb?
Any opinions will be much appreciated!

Also met the queen for the first time.

 

[Pennyfold Bees]

Great to see your queen!! Not seen mine yet but have seen eggs/larvae so need to improve my spotting skills!

No idea about the small bees, I'm new.

 

[richardbees]

among other reasons: the interior dimension of old brood comb is smaller than that of new comb because it is lined with the cocoon of previous generations of bees.......so new bees are progressively smaller in size

 

[Tom Bick]

Newly emerged bees are smaller than adult bees and fury that gives the impression they are slightly gray in colour. I don’t know the exact science but they obviously get bigger as they mature and the hairs wear off.... its a bit like me as I think about it.


Just to add I once watched an adult bee walking around the comb and she was half the size of her sisters and very small and quite extraordinary I tried to photo her but it never came out. I put this down to nature throws these things out from time to time regardless if spices

 

[lebouche]

Thanks for the replies.
The comb is new so wont have cocoons. Well should just have had its first.
I swear one of the ones I saw was as Tom describes. Almost half the size of the adults.

 

[masterBK]

Can also get small bees if you have alot of Varroa in a cell as they suck so much haemolymph from the developing bee they don't grow to normal size (although you tend to see deformed bees as well as the small ones).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the interior dimension of old brood comb is smaller than that of new comb because it is lined with the cocoon of previous generations of bees.......so new bees are progressively smaller in size

Experts don't subscribe to that theory any more - during the spring build up bees clean out all the existing cells of old cocoon matter etc thus each year the cells are back to full size so it is only towards the end of the season that cells may be slightly smaller.

 

[Finman]

.
I have seen small bees in mating nucs. Larvae are not feeded enough.
Lack of foragers and pollen perhaps.