BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
"J. Waggle" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:20:39 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (63 lines)
<<<I have read on this list that the workers will move eggs.
 never heard that they would move larvae...>>>

Hello Bee-L Community,

Hunter observed many times that;
'eggs and larvae had been removed in his swarms 
from one cell to another.' (Note: Colonies tended to
be called swarms in those days).

This fact recorded in 
'Observations on Bees'
By John Hunter - 1792 

=====

Early observations have been made
on the moving of eggs also:

In experiments by Thomas Wildman, 
(sometime prior to 1768)

Wildman caught up a Queen, and tied her by a thin 
thread in order to restrict her movements to a few
inches.  He soon discovered eggs had somehow been 
deposited in cells impossible for her to reach.

In those days, the economy of a bee colony was still
a great mystery, and Wildman thought this to be 
strong evidence against the prevailing belief of a 
'one mother bee' or 'one ruler', per colony.  But during 
the subsequent days, after more carefully observing what 
passed in the hive, he observed worker bees carrying 
eggs 'from the mother, or Queen Bee', and depositing 
them 'for her' in distant cells.  

Interesting to note, that Wildman appears by his
statements, to have observed workers accepting
eggs directly from the mother as she laid them.

Wildman perhaps should be regarded as one of the 
earliest Organic Beekeepers, or possibly even,
the father of Organic Beekeeping,  because 
he was one of the first to speak out strongly 
against the killing of bees to obtain honey which 
was common practice in those days. And wrote 
against the harming, killing or injuring of the queen 
bee, which 'some 250 years later, are rules 
universally accepted as fundamental practice in 
Organic Beekeeping.

Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm

ATOM RSS1 RSS2