Washboard Movement of Honey Bees (Example and Explanation)
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- Washboard Movement, Washboarding, or Washboard Behavior is what this behavior is referred to. Aptly named after reminding beekeepers of Old of the same motion used to wash clothes on a washboard at the time.
This is a fairly rare and unique behavior of honeybees that is cloaked in mystery; is it a dance, a function designed to clean or propolize the entrance, or like many older beekeepers thought, bees just doing something instead of nothing!
Washboarding is truly an interesting and unique behavior that is truly mesmerizing!
Dr. James Tew captured what I think is a truly extraordinary amount of washboarding on his hives and posted it on RUclips; the link is below and I would definitely recommend it to my viewers:
• Washboard Behavior
Books used as a reference: With Links to new editions.
The Hive and the Honeybee. Dadant and Sons, revised edition 1975, sixth printing 1982. Pg. 218-219. ISBN 0-684-14790-4
www.dadant.com/...
Catalog #: M00010
ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture: Roger Morse, Root Publishing, 40th Edition 1990 - pg. 465. ISBN: 0-936028-01-7
www.dadant.com/...
Catalog #: M000071
If you would like to purchase the exact editions referenced in this video, I would try ebay.
Thank You!
In my opinion, it's an adaptation for mite control that hasn't produced a 100 percent positive result yet. Basically the bees are trying to figure out how to keep the mites out, but they haven't figured out a good way yet that really works. Wash boarding must at least cut the numbers down or they wouldn't be doing it. Those are my thoughts. Mites weren't a real issue until humans got involved so I think there still figuring out a battle strategy.
If this is still unknown, I can provide a solid reason they do this. It's stupid simple.
so one more, mystery, hmm... Do bees ever, Sleep
Crazy how often it is and still no one know whats up..
Thanks for sharing about this behavior... I haven't previously noticed my bees doing this. Now I'll be on the lookout... it would be great if you could get down on their level with a macro lens and see what their tongues are doing? As well as a macro of the surface condition. Are they doing this on coated/painted/finished boards as well as natural/untreated surfaces? Very interesting, thanks for sharing!
+Frederick Dunn Hi Frederick. Next time I see it (usually in the fall) I'll try to capture it with my macro, but yes they do it on painted, finished, unfinished and unpainted surfaces! Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for the speedy reply :)
In 2010 I saw wash boarding on a observation Hive they were also doing it on many of the inside surfaces also - however not on the glass.
interesting.
Their Live-Dancing. Put on some country music!!! haha
Interesting... I had incorporated essential oils in the early spring, sometimes replacing smoke. I thought that the scent from the syrup had caused them to be 'searching' the surface thus doing this wash boarding.