The Star: September 21, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday September 21 2017 31
Gardening
Editorial supplied by
www.gardener.kiwi
Bee on guard
Rebecca Lees says you don’t have to be a beekeeper to witness the
wonders of guard bees.
SIT AND watch a hive from close
by, and you’ll witness behaviours
you may have never seen.
The entrance to a bee colony
is a hive of activity. There’s a lot
going on, but you have to be quick
to see it. Bees work at a rapid
pace. The more you watch, the
more fascinating their behaviour
becomes.
In very cold weather you may
only glimpse a few heads poking
out. Make a little noise, and more
will appear. The curious little bees
we see at the entrance are doing an
important job. They’re guarding
the hive. Watching the ins and
outs of the place, and it’s up to
them who’s granted access.
Usually around two to three
weeks old, these young worker
bees take turns on patrol. At times
when nectar flow is high and
plenty of bees take to their air –
guarding decreases. During cooler
weather, when their population is
low and nectar not flowing freely,
the guards are out in force. They
have to be, their hive is at risk.
Any creature can enter a hive, as
long as it fits through the entrance.
Mice squeeze through with ease.
Wasps have no problem. Even
bumblebees, larger than life, will
fit. It’s the guard’s job to make sure
this doesn’t happen. But when it
does – and it will – they’ll defend
their family and, if need be, fight
to the death.
Guards will often stand with
their forelegs raised and antennae
forward. The bigger the entrance to
the hive, the more bees on guard.
They’re on high alert to carry out
regular inspections of incoming
bees. As a bee approaches a hive
it flies in a particular way. Bees
which belong to the hive they’re
visiting have a more direct and
consistent flying pattern. Foreign
bees approach the hive differently.
They’re checking things out.
Searching for the entrance.
Depending on the species,
they’ll hover more or dart this
way and that trying to find a way
in. This flying pattern alerts the
guards to take a closer look, and
inspect the intruder.
Each colony of bees has a
unique odour, made of a mix of
chemicals. Guards use this odour
as a recognition mechanism. If the
odour is foreign, as detected by the
guard bee’s antennae, the intruder
is chased away from the hive.
The intruder may make a quick
getaway and get off scot-free, but
there are those who are really
desperate to get in, and they’ll
keep trying. This is when a battle
takes place.
A guard will fight with the
intruder. If need be (and if the
fight works in the bee’s favour),
the intruder will be stung. That’s
when the real alarm bells ring. On
stinging the intruder the guard
bee releases alarm pheromones.
These pheromones are
another concoction of chemical
substances. They’re an important
communication mechanism on
which the colony depends for its
survival. As the pheromone is
released other worker bees pick
up on the alarm signal. It gets
their attention and changes their
behaviour. They come out of the
hive and join the battle.
This form of SOS often works
well. The more intruders stung,
the more alarm pheromones
released. And the bigger the army
of bees who fight.
•More gardening, pages 32 & 33
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