Toilet Break

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beeno

Queen Bee
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
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Hi all,
Snow and freezing weather. How long before the bees must have a toilet break?
 
Snow and freezing weather. How long before the bees must have a toilet break?

A long time. Think what they are eating? Yes sugars.

What are the metabolic by-products of carbohydrates? Water and carbon dioxide only. And less of them, the less they have to consume.
 
Don't stand near the hives on the first fine day or you will get covered in crap lol
 
Largely backing RAB on this. they can keep their legs crossed a long time but it IS rather dependant on what is going on inside the hive and the character of the winter food.

If they are raising brood they will be using the pollen stores too and thus will generate more waste, so the period of confinement they can take is lessened.

Same for high protein or high complex sugar stores.......so heather honey fills the gut faster than plain old blossom honey and the cleanest of all is syrup.......the higher the protein the more the gut needs voiding. Honeydew contains some complex sugars indigestible to bees so this is probably the least suitable of all stores as frequent voiding is needed. Not a problem in most areas...............and even with heather stores its only the very longest spells of weather so cold bee flight is impossible that give rise to any issues.

Simple answer of course, as once you introduce other varaibles like too many old bees or the presence of Nosema apis all bets are off. If voiding starts inside the hive the end can come very fast.

Assuming Finman is raping the dividends of the cold climate in very low metabolic rates and clean residue free stores. (NOT pesticide residues, residues after digestion. You get paranoid on this section.)
 
Last edited:
Assuming Finman is raping the dividends of the cold climate in very low metabolic rates and clean residue free stores. .)

Bees eate quite much pollen in winter or they get it with honey.

After winter bees are more or less full of pollen poo.

Small colonies must eate more food than big colonies. That is why their abdomen is more full of poo in cleansing flight.


In your weathers, if the colony has brood, nurser bees will be filled very fast.
 
You would have thought that the bees would have learnt to use the OMF by now........
 
You would have thought that the bees would have learnt to use the OMF by now........

Hi Woeski and others,
I googled and came upon someone who said that when poo stores became 1/2 of the bees weight they defecate in the hive. I have actually seen bee poo which may have come through OMF. Shall keep an eye on a more reliable inspection board if the bad weather continues. Will keep you posted Woeski.
 
Snow and freezing weather. How long before the bees must have a toilet break?

A long time. Think what they are eating? Yes sugars.

What are the metabolic by-products of carbohydrates? Water and carbon dioxide only. And less of them, the less they have to consume.

Funny you should say that as someone shut a nuc up with syrup for 14 days and the front of it got covered!
 
Funny you should say that as someone shut a nuc up with syrup for 14 days and the front of it got covered!

Yes, maybe. BUT you specified the conditions as Snow and freezing weather.

I would dare to say: You are now moving the goal posts?
 
Funny you should say that as someone shut a nuc up with syrup for 14 days and the front of it got covered!

Yes, maybe. BUT you specified the conditions as Snow and freezing weather.

I would dare to say: You are now moving the goal posts?

Hi Rab,
I did not mean to. I thought the goal post was that only sugar consumption (no pollen) would not produce much faeces.
 
I thought the goal post ...

Really! You started this thread after all! You specified the conditions and I answered that question.

Shirley, the question arises from my response re carbohydrates being metabolised to non faecal waste should have prompted at least some thought as to where these highly coloured faeces, containing solids, are arrived at?
 
I thought the goal post ...

Really! You started this thread after all! You specified the conditions and I answered that question.

Shirley, the question arises from my response re carbohydrates being metabolised to non faecal waste should have prompted at least some thought as to where these highly coloured faeces, containing solids, are arrived at?

Hi Rab,
'That's not my name', but I take it you mean surely (joke). It prompted just that thought and what do you think the answer is, because it does not make sense. There was some protein in their guts already prior to the 14 days confinement with only sugar syrup for food?
 
Largely backing RAB on this. they can keep their legs crossed a long time but it IS rather dependant on what is going on inside the hive and the character of the winter food.

If they are raising brood they will be using the pollen stores too and thus will generate more waste, so the period of confinement they can take is lessened.

Same for high protein or high complex sugar stores.......so heather honey fills the gut faster than plain old blossom honey and the cleanest of all is syrup.......the higher the protein the more the gut needs voiding. Honeydew contains some complex sugars indigestible to bees so this is probably the least suitable of all stores as frequent voiding is needed. Not a problem in most areas...............and even with heather stores its only the very longest spells of weather so cold bee flight is impossible that give rise to any issues.

Simple answer of course, as once you introduce other varaibles like too many old bees or the presence of Nosema apis all bets are off. If voiding starts inside the hive the end can come very fast.

Assuming Finman is raping the dividends of the cold climate in very low metabolic rates and clean residue free stores. (NOT pesticide residues, residues after digestion. You get paranoid on this section.)

Hi ITLD,
Very nicely explained - thank you. May I be so bold as to ask if defecation took place inside a hive with solid floor/OMF would we notice it in amongst the other detritus including dead bees or does it not fall to the floor?
 
I was in my apairy one day, standing up on the ladder pruning apple trees. The bees had been confined to the hive for over 6 weeks or more. The weather picked up to about 5'c when all of a sudden, all the hives exploded with bees , coming out to deficate at the one time. I started to laugh at first at what was falling from the sky, but with over 50 hives relieving themselved over my head, i had to beat a hasty retreat.
 
KP

Julie andrews could have turned that experience into the opportunity for a song!
 

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