Seasons of Honeybees (Autumn)

My first submition to Hilltown Families as a contributing writer was posted yesterday.  Here is a link if you would like to check it out!  Enjoy!  =)

http://hilltownfamilies.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/seasons-of-honeybees/

Doug's last day with the bees

This is a tribute to Doug (My right hand man).  Friday is his last day working at WPI and yesterday was his last time going into the hives.  Sorry about the first picture, I couldn't get it to turn upright.  Be good Doug, keep doing what your doing & you will go far in life.  Take care & keep in touch.

Drone graveyard

As I was saying, it is tough to be a Drone. This is what I found yesterday.  Looks like a bee graveyard to me.  My friend Doug thinks a bee dog house is in order for these males.  Lol!  But to be serious.  In the bee world, if you are not useful, or obsolete, you are no longer need and will be removed.  It doesn't matter if you are the Queen, Worker, or Drone, the colony must survive at all cost and if death of a member is required it will be done.  It is the way it is.

Worker bee removing a Drone

It is tough beeing a Drone (Male bee).  As the season ends there will no longer be any use for Drones in the hive.  They will no longer need them for fertilization and the Workers (Female bees) are trying to store as much food as possible.  Drones do not help, they consume.  So the Workers will start kicking them out, letting them starve, or possibly dismembering them.  As shown here: A Worker bee just wrestled a Drone bee out of the hive.  It can be a tough world to be a bee but they will sacrafice all for the remaining colony to survive.  Enjoy!

Bee ghost

In trying to get a shot of the bees coming in for a landing (Hive #5 "Bear Survivers").  This is what I got!  Looks like a couple of bee spirits still working even after death.  lol  Thought I should share.