What do bees use to collect honey? Why can bees distinguish directions?

Bees are social insects, consisting of queen bees, drones, worker bees and other species. When collecting nectar, they generally choose flowers that are in bud or have just opened. Collecting nectar is not only for better survival, but also for feeding the next generation. The following is an introduction to what bees use to collect nectar.

Contents of this article

1. What do bees use to collect honey?

2. The reason why bees can distinguish directions

3. Why do bees collect honey?

What do bees use to collect honey?

Bees use their mouths to collect nectar. The bees' mouths are called mouthparts, which are chewing mouthparts. The mouthparts have a pair of symmetrical upper jaws that are shaped like axe, which are used to chew solid pollen and build honeycombs. The lower lip of the mouthparts is extended, and together with the lower jaw and tongue, it forms a long and thin tube with a long groove in the middle, which helps sucking. Put the tube deep into the flower to collect pollen and suck nectar.

Bees rely on their sense of smell to find nectar sources. Bees have knee-shaped antennae, and the olfactory fossa is mainly distributed at the front end of the antennae. With the help of the antennae, they can smell the fragrance of flowers and find nectar.

Bees generally do not collect nectar from buds or newly opened flowers, but rather from blooming flowers because the nectar or secretions are richer at this time.

How bees can tell directions

Bees use polarized light navigation and scent corridors to identify directions. Bees have compound eyes on their heads that can sense sunlight and thus identify directions. They have olfactory glands on their abdomens that contract and secrete scent during flight, leaving it along the route they fly, forming a scent corridor that bees use to identify directions.

Bees use polarized light navigation and scent corridors to identify directions. Polarized light is ultraviolet light that is invisible to the human eye, and the bee's compound eyes are composed of multiple golden balls that can sense the sun's light and thus identify directions.

Bees have olfactory glands in their abdomens, which contract and secrete fragrance when they fly, and leave the fragrance in the route they fly. Many bees come and go, forming a fragrance corridor between the nectar source and the honey room. Bees rely on this fragrance corridor to identify directions and transport pollen back home.

In addition, the study found that there are "superparamagnets" in the abdomen of bees, confirming that bees rely on this "superparamagnet" to guide and identify directions as the earth's magnetic field changes.

Why do bees collect honey?

Bees collect nectar because they need to use the pollen they collect to make honey for the queen bee, drones and themselves, that is, to obtain food. Collecting nectar is not only for better survival, but also to feed the next generation. This is a process of bee reproduction and is a normal phenomenon.

When collecting nectar, bees usually choose flowers that are in bud or have just opened. They use their mouthparts to absorb the essence of the flowers and then store it in the hive for brewing. When the plants are not blooming, they will feed on honey.

Bees are social insects, consisting of several species including queen bees, drones, worker bees and others. Worker bees are female bees in the colony with underdeveloped reproductive organs. They can be further divided into three types: nurse bees, nest-building bees and collecting bees.

Bees have small bodies, black head and thorax, are covered with hair, and are agile fliers, making them suitable for breeding in mountainous and semi-mountainous ecological environments.