Why do bees die in large numbers in autumn? How do bees smell?

Many people think of bees as a group of hardworking little animals that can collect nectar. So how do bees judge the taste of nectar and find the location of nectar? Most bees have a short lifespan, so beekeeping is also a technical job. Let's learn more about bees!

Contents of this article

1. Why do bees die in large numbers in autumn?

2. How do bees identify flavors?

3. How to deal with bee stings

Why are bees dying in large numbers in autumn?

1. Death from old age

The large number of bee deaths in autumn may be due to old age. Most bees have a short lifespan of only a few months, so from summer to autumn, a large number of bees may die naturally. This is a normal phenomenon and can be removed in time.

2. Starvation

Death in sealed-off areas in autumn is most likely due to starvation. Autumn is a window period for nectar sources in many places in my country. At this time, there is a shortage of nectar sources from the outside world, and many bee colonies are large in number. Their food supply cannot be guaranteed, and if they are not replenished in time, they will die in large numbers.

3. Death from heat

In autumn, high temperatures often occur, such as the "autumn tiger". Sometimes the sun is scorching at noon and the temperature may reach over 40°C. At this time, if the bee colony does not do a good job of cooling down and preventing heatstroke, it is easy for the bees to die from dehydration.

How do bees smell?

Bees use their antennae to distinguish flavors. There are plate-shaped, bell-shaped, and jar-shaped sensory organs on their antennae, which allow them to determine where nectar is found through the scent of flowers carried in the wind, thus helping them to collect nectar. At the same time, bees also have tongues, which can also taste the flavors of different items.

Bees usually distinguish smells through their antennae. There are multiple sensory organs on their antennae. The plate-shaped sensory organs, bell-shaped sensory organs, and jar-shaped sensory organs help bees smell the floral fragrance brought by the breeze in the air. They can search for the specific location of nectar based on the floral fragrance in the air.

Bees can not only smell the fragrance of flowers in the air, but also taste the flavors of different objects through their tongues. When a scout bee finds a source of sweet nectar with its antennae and tongue, it will return to its companions and tell them by dancing that it has found a good source of nectar.

How to deal with a bee sting

After being stung by a bee, the first thing to do is to check if there is any stinger left in the wound. If there is, pull it out with tweezers, and then clean the wound with soapy water or other alkaline solutions. However, some people will have a relatively large adverse reaction or even endanger their lives after being stung by a bee, so it is best to see a doctor after being stung.

If we are accidentally stung by honey, the first thing we should do is to check whether there is any stinger left by the bee on the wound. If so, we should use tweezers to pull the stinger out of the wound as soon as possible.

Then prepare an appropriate amount of alkaline solution, such as soapy water, 3% ammonia water, etc., because the bee venom is an acidic substance. If we use alkaline solutions such as soapy water to clean the wound, we can neutralize the venom very well.

It should be noted that some people will have relatively serious adverse reactions after being stung by bees due to allergies and other reasons, and severe cases may even be life-threatening. Therefore, if conditions permit, it is best to go to the hospital to consult a doctor as soon as possible after being stung.