Tag Archives: eusociality

At least one of these bees is a laying worker

Posted on June 3, 2019 by

At least one of the bees in the picture above is a laying worker. Can you spot her?  I can’t. But if you read this post to the end, you will have the answer – and a really nice bonus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Worker Who Would Be Queen

Posted on September 1, 2016 by

Bees have a complicated social structure which some political scientists have sought to embrace. In the old days, people assumed that the King Bee ruled with an iron fist that imposed order, harmony, sacrifice, and unflinching duty. Now that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Genetics, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mother’s Day at the Hive

Posted on May 10, 2015 by

Biologists have been debating the role that mixed genetic heritage plays in your beehive. As children, we learned that there are three castes of honey bees – queen, workers, and drones. [That’s wrong – it’s two castes (queen/worker) and two … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Queens, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , | Leave a comment