Comments on: The bees that mummify beetles alive http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: usul http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11863 usul Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:18:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11863 @Ed Yong, when bees DO finally figure out how to refine crude oil, imagine how much more industrious they will become. They are already highly regimented and organized with the good of the hive at the forefront of their existance. Give them a (thermodynamically) cheap and dense energy source and watch out... @Ed Yong, when bees DO finally figure out how to refine crude oil, imagine how much more industrious they will become. They are already highly regimented and organized with the good of the hive at the forefront of their existance. Give them a (thermodynamically) cheap and dense energy source and watch out…

]]> By: Ales http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11862 Ales Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:31:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11862 Wow simply wow! Wow simply wow!

]]> By: Pasqual http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11861 Pasqual Fri, 03 Jun 2011 04:25:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11861 Bees can entomb living and dead animals in a similar fashion. In the event that a large predator, like a wasp, enters the hive and is actively killed by the bees, or dies - maybe like the snake (too much heat, not enough air?) - and the bees are unable to remove the corpse, due to its size, they will entomb it in propolis in order to prevent the contagious elements of decay from spreading to the entire colony and destroying it. Bees can entomb living and dead animals in a similar fashion. In the event that a large predator, like a wasp, enters the hive and is actively killed by the bees, or dies – maybe like the snake (too much heat, not enough air?) – and the bees are unable to remove the corpse, due to its size, they will entomb it in propolis in order to prevent the contagious elements of decay from spreading to the entire colony and destroying it.

]]> By: Frank the SciencePunk http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11860 Frank the SciencePunk Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:39:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11860 In apiculture class, the prof showed us pics of animals that had found their way into hives and been entombed in propolis - including a snake! - although no-one knew for sure if the honeybees killed/immobilised the animals or just covered up the carcass. FAR more interesting in my opinion was a study he carried out to see if high voltage power lines affected insect populations. A row of hives were placed at various distances from a megavolt power line. In all but one, the bees were unaffected. In the hive directly underneath the power line, the bees sealed the entire inner surface of the hive with propolis. Sadly it was concluded that the impact of high voltage power lines on insect populations was minimal and the work was never followed up. :( In apiculture class, the prof showed us pics of animals that had found their way into hives and been entombed in propolis – including a snake! – although no-one knew for sure if the honeybees killed/immobilised the animals or just covered up the carcass.

FAR more interesting in my opinion was a study he carried out to see if high voltage power lines affected insect populations. A row of hives were placed at various distances from a megavolt power line. In all but one, the bees were unaffected. In the hive directly underneath the power line, the bees sealed the entire inner surface of the hive with propolis.
Sadly it was concluded that the impact of high voltage power lines on insect populations was minimal and the work was never followed up. :(

]]> By: Stephan Zielinski http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11859 Stephan Zielinski Tue, 31 May 2011 19:56:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11859 However, bees will waggle-dance to indicate the range and bearing to a particularly good tire sale. However, bees will waggle-dance to indicate the range and bearing to a particularly good tire sale.

]]> By: Ed Yong http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11858 Ed Yong Tue, 31 May 2011 09:08:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11858 I meant batumen, which is what stingless bees use to build their nests. Bitumen is a sticky, tar-like form of petroleum. Bees can make honey. They can make wax. They have, as yet, not figured out how to refine crude oil. I meant batumen, which is what stingless bees use to build their nests. Bitumen is a sticky, tar-like form of petroleum. Bees can make honey. They can make wax. They have, as yet, not figured out how to refine crude oil.

]]> By: Abie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/05/30/the-bees-that-mummify-beetles-alive/#comment-11857 Abie Tue, 31 May 2011 08:49:14 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=4632#comment-11857 Remarkable strategy ! And as a sidenote: I think you meant "bitumen", not "batumen". Remarkable strategy !

And as a sidenote: I think you meant “bitumen”, not “batumen”.

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