The Behavior of the Honey Bee in Pollen CollectingCasteel, Dana Brackenridge
Science
The Behavior of the Honey Bee in Pollen Collecting
Casteel, Dana Brackenridge
Honeybee -- Behavior; Pollen
Pollen grains are moistened and rendered cohesive by the addition to
them of fluid substances which come from the mouth. Analyses show that
honey forms a large part of this moistening fluid, although nectar and
secretions from the salivary glands are probably present also.
In the process of pollen manipulation this fluid substance becomes
well distributed over the brushes of all of the legs. The forelegs
acquire moisture by brushing over the mouthparts, and they transfer
this to the hairs of the breast and to the middle-leg brushes when
they come in contact with them. The middle-leg brushes transmit their
moisture to the pollen combs of the hind legs when they rub upon them.
All of these brushes also transport wet pollen which has come from the
mouthparts and thereby acquire additional moisture. The auricles and
the plantæ of the hind legs become particularly wet from this source,
since fluid is squeezed from the wet pollen when it is compressed
between the auricles and the distal ends of the tibiæ. Dry pollen
which falls upon the body hairs becomes moist when brought into
contact with the wet brushes or with wet pollen.
During the process of manipulation pollen passes backward from its
point of contact with the bee toward its resting place within the
baskets.
Pollen which the collecting bee carries to the hive is deposited by
this bee within one of the cells of the comb. As a rule, this pollen
is securely packed in the cell by some other worker, which flattens
out the rounded masses and adds more fluid to them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Alefeld, Dr.--Vol. 5. Nos. 15 and 16. Eichstädt Bienen Zeitung.
Summarized in "Die Bienenzeitung in neuer, geschichteter und
systematische geordneter Ausgabe." Herausgegeben vom Schinid
und Kleine: Erste Band, Theoretischer Theile. 1861.
Casteel, D. B., 1912.--The manipulation of the wax scales of the honey
bee, Circular 161, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. Agriculture,
pp. 15.
Cheshire, F. R., 1886.--Bees and bee-keeping; scientific and practical.
Vol. I, scientific; II, practical. London.
Fleischmann und Zander, 1910.--Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte der
Honigbiene.
Franz, A., 1906.--In "Unsere Bienen," herausgegeben von Ludwig, A.,
Berlin, pp. [viii]+831.
Hommell, R., 1906.--Apiculture, Encyclopedic Agricola, Paris.
Phillips, E. F., 1905.--Structure and development of the compound eye
of the bee. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 57,
pp. 123-157.
Sladen, F. W. L., 1911.--How pollen is collected by the social bees, and
the part played in the process by the auricle. British Bee Journal,
vol. 39, pp. 491-493, Dec. 14.
Sladen, F. W. L., 1912.--(_a_) How pollen is collected by the honey bee.
Nature, vol. 88, pp. 586, 587, Feb. 29.
1912.--(_b_) Further notes on how the corbicula is loaded with pollen.
British Bee Journal, vol. 40, pp. 144, 145, Apr. 11.
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