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Subject:
From:
Joe Waggle <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 25 Dec 2004 15:54:19 -0500
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On Wed, 18 Nov 1992 17:21:08 -0500, Janko Bozic <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>Dear Bee Netters interested in
>
>   VARROA AND ALLOGROOMING BEHAVIOUR
>
>For last 3 years I have recorded some hours of video recordings about
>allogrooming behaviour in carniolan bee. I'm just preparing detailed
>quantitative description of allogrooming behaviour....


Hi Janko & All,

I’m new to the list!  Janko, is this description accessable on the web?
Been searching for descriptions of allogrooming behavior for comparison to
what I am seeing.  I apologize for having to go
way back in the archives to 1992 to find the subject title to fit my post
in.

In a few 'related colonies' am seeing what I believe is a  very high
degree of allogrooming (vigorous biting in between the tergites, body
segments and wing base area by a total of 2 or 3 bees involved cleaning
another single bee).  Now,  I’m NOT seeing this ’grooming dance’ as
described by Land & Seeley (discription pasted below).  I only detect a
pause and slight arching of the bees back which solicits a very rapid
response and vigorous grooming within 2 seconds from 2 to 3 other bees.
The allogrooming will continue for at least 20 seconds, and the bees
participating from a distance at times is  indistinguishable from that of
fighting bees.  They will often be so involved that they will on occasion
fall off the bottom board to the ground before ceasing.  Frequently,
during morning hours with nothing much else to do, hundreds of bees may be
observed  allogrooming at one time in a impressive display of grooming
activity all across the landing boards.

Now, I am observing this soliciting and grooming,  by watching bees that
are on the landing boards,  maybe a bee performing the grooming dance on
the comb as observed by Seeley might be different.  Any vigorous grooming
up in the combs 'to the intensity I am seeing' IMO might result in the
grooming bees falling down into the bottom of the cavity.  But then again,
I have noticed that the grooming bees have difficulty un locking their
grasp on each other.  Perhaps, hooks and barbs of the legs may cause
difficulty un-grasping here.  Perhaps this may give grooming bees the grip
and stabilization needed to stay up on the combs while grooming.  Anybody
seeing allogrooming in their bees or have comment in this behavour?


Seeley Grooming Dance Discription:
“The median duration of the grooming dance is rather short (just 8 s) and
the probability that a bee that has performed a grooming invitation dance
will soon be groomed by a nest mate is remarkably high (0.72). A bee
performing the grooming invitation dance stands with her legs spread and
tightly gripping the comb while rocking her whole body side-to-side in a
plane parallel to the comb. The amplitude of these rocking movements is a
bit larger for the abdomen than for the head or thorax, so the bee sweeps
out an arc with her side-to-side body movements. The mean duration of the
grooming invitation dances are apx  9.3  + or - 1.0 sec.  (Land & T. D.
Seeley)”

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