Winter bees

[Monbees]

I do find this forum useful for asking what must seem to the old hands, silly questions. So here's another one which l have been pondering.
Winter bees. What triggers the queen/workers to know the time has come to produce winter bees?
If the autumn is particularly mild do they delay, or what? Can they get caught out by leaving it too late?
Also, are winter bees just a symptom of northern climes? Presumably in zones where there is no winter, workers are produced year round? If such bees were to be introduced to northern climes would they be genetically incapable of producing winter bees, therefore die out in the winter?

 

[fatshark]

Like most beekeeping, it's not determined by the calendar ...

Winter bee rearing is a direct consequence of increased forager pheromone (less foraging, so more pheromone in the hive) and decreased brood pheromone (less forage coming in, so less brood rearing).

Taken from this paper by Christina Grozinger and colleagues.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Presumably in zones where there is no winter, workers are produced year round?

Even in the tropics and sub Saharan Africa there are seasons, it can get bleeding cold in much of South Africa - Lesotho even has a ski resort. bees gather and store nectar for the periods where there is no forage, the rainy seasons are just that - rainy, so they will still have their cycles of 'winter' bees.

 

[enrico]

I could do with some of that 'slowed behavioural maturation' stuff! Surprised no one has harnessed the phrase for 'staying young' potion!
E

 

[Monbees]

Even in the tropics and sub Saharan Africa there are seasons, it can get bleeding cold in much of South Africa - Lesotho even has a ski resort. bees gather and store nectar for the periods where there is no forage, the rainy seasons are just that - rainy, so they will still have their cycles of 'winter' bees.

So perhaps should more accurately be called 'seasonal bees' rather than 'winter bees'?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So perhaps should more accurately be called 'seasonal bees' rather than 'winter bees'?

they still call it winter out there

 

[Erichalfbee]

So perhaps should more accurately be called 'seasonal bees' rather than 'winter bees'?

Like a Happy Christmas has been replaced by Happy Holidays in some places?

 

[Madge]

So perhaps should more accurately be called 'seasonal bees' rather than 'winter bees'?

Summer is also a season!

 

[Beefriendly]

Add some rosemary and you get seasoning...

 

[Curly green finger's]

Add some rosemary and you get seasoning...

Add that to meat and it's been seasoned happy new year.

 

[Popparand]

Like most beekeeping, it's not determined by the calendar ...

Winter bee rearing is a direct consequence of increased forager pheromone (less foraging, so more pheromone in the hive) and decreased brood pheromone (less forage coming in, so less brood rearing).

Taken from this paper by Christina Grozinger and colleagues.

Note CURRENT Opinion. Like everything in bee science a new theory pops up every other day.

 

[Madge]

Note CURRENT Opinion. Like everything in bee science a new theory pops up every other day.

For example?

 

[Poly Hive]

https://backyardbeekeeping.iamcountryside.com/health-pests/communication-with-pheromones/

PH

 

[Madge]

https://backyardbeekeeping.iamcountryside.com/health-pests/communication-with-pheromones/
PH

PH, knowledge about the role of pheromones isn’t a theory, and doesn’t illustrate Popperand’s claim of a ‘new theory’ that suddenly ‘popped up’ to replace another.

 

[Poly Hive]

I never said it was. I was adding a link referring to the pheromones on the diagram.

Trying to keep the thread on track rather than going off on an argumentative tangent.

HNY

PH

 

[Madge]

I never said it was. I was adding a link referring to the pheromones on the diagram.

Trying to keep the thread on track rather than going off on an argumentative tangent.

HNY

PH

Ok, sorry PH. It will help if you make it clear in your post to whom you're replying.

 

[Poly Hive]

It seems the edit function is no longer working. The software on the site is creaking more and more it seems. Picture restrictions etc are looking very old fashioned. It's surely time for an upgrade?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It seems the edit function is no longer working. The software on the site is creaking more and more it seems. Picture restrictions etc are looking very old fashioned. It's surely time for an upgrade?

It works for me and I see nothing wrong with the site.
I'm sure Admin knows his stuff and will (as usual) make sure the site runs with it's usual smoothness without any petty criticisms from the sidelines

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Trying to keep the thread on track rather than going off on an argumentative tangent.

HNY

PH

I'm sure our moderators are more than capable of keeping things in check

 

[Erichalfbee]

My edit functions work just fine