tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post1769713073484768012..comments2024-01-27T11:40:35.680+00:00Comments on Bean Sprouts: BumblebeesMelanie Rimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05871992146568559100noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-11300257941279797842008-02-26T19:11:00.000+00:002008-02-26T19:11:00.000+00:00What a lovely drawing. Reminds me of one my eldest...What a lovely drawing. Reminds me of one my eldest daughter did at about the same age only hers was of Edvard Munch's 'Scream'. I believe it's still in the loft somewhere. If only I could get up there I'd have a root around to see if found it and frame it for the kitchen wall.<BR/><BR/>We never get bumble bees in our garden but then I don't have a whole lot of flowers growing in my mud patch. Hopefully the garden will get sorted one day and they'll find it more attractive, cute little chaps that they are :)Sharon Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09050104785278502068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-86753205077130303482008-02-23T08:23:00.000+00:002008-02-23T08:23:00.000+00:00Good question, Vicki's 2 1/2 year old. Nectar is a...Good question, Vicki's 2 1/2 year old. Nectar is a weak solution of sugar and water. In summer sometimes you can discover this for yourself - I remember when I was a child pulling the individual flowerets off red clovers and chewing the white end. Sometimes you get a burst of sweetness when you taste the nectar.<BR/><BR/>Bees collect the nectar and store it in their honey stomach, which is separated from its proper stomach by a little valve.<BR/><BR/>Bee spit contains enzymes which change the sucrose in the nectar into glucose and fructose. This starts before she ever gets back to the hive.<BR/><BR/>Back at the hive she will bring up the nectar mixed with enzymes into a cell. At this point it contains too much water, so it isn't honey yet.<BR/><BR/>In the warm ventilated environment of the hive, the excess water in the honey will evaporate. The bees fan with their wings to cause an air flow over the nectar to help take the moisture away.<BR/><BR/>When the water content is down to 18% (don't ask me how the bees know. I need a hygroscope to measure the water content of honey, but bees don't have hygroscopes) then the nectar has become honey. Actually beekeepers cheat. They don't normally use hygroscopes, they just rely on the bees to tell them when the honey is ready. The bees will cover the cell full of honey with a cap of wax, but only when the water content is lowered to 18%. When all the cells in a frame are capped, the beekeeper can take the frame away and extract the honey.<BR/><BR/>Do you like honey, Vicki's 2 1/2 year old? I do. I'm going to have some honey on waffles for my breakfast.Melanie Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05871992146568559100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-20019126051144461652008-02-22T22:41:00.000+00:002008-02-22T22:41:00.000+00:00Ummm.. great post.. My 3 1/2 year old wants to kno...Ummm.. great post.. My 3 1/2 year old wants to know.. How bees make honey out of Spit and Nectar.. Any idears?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-30380237382011408232008-02-20T15:11:00.000+00:002008-02-20T15:11:00.000+00:00Awww...love the picture (scan it to save it) and a...Awww...love the picture (scan it to save it) and also love bumblebees. Found yr blog via Fake Plastic Fish and really like it. Thanks for writing!JessTrevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000531822628182708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-27120313611776103052008-02-20T02:57:00.000+00:002008-02-20T02:57:00.000+00:00My fiance would love to bees but right now we live...My fiance would love to bees but right now we live in an apartment so we can't. In the meantime we purchase local honey and honey products.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-17243510235130012072008-02-19T19:38:00.000+00:002008-02-19T19:38:00.000+00:00Tell Sam-Sam that Gangan is dead proud of him and ...Tell Sam-Sam that Gangan is dead proud of him and loves his picture. A reward is winging its way to him as we speak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-85782068973901486802008-02-19T17:09:00.000+00:002008-02-19T17:09:00.000+00:00FABULOUS picture, you should get it framed, unless...FABULOUS picture, you should get it framed, unless it's felt tip, in which case it will fade to nothing in a few years. In which case, I wonder if photocopying would be a good plan, and keep the original somewhere dark.<BR/><BR/>Really great - you didn't need to tell us it was VG's sunflowers, instantly recognizable<BR/><BR/>JoannaJoannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-90184924328094373572008-02-19T16:50:00.000+00:002008-02-19T16:50:00.000+00:00I spend all summer catching bumblebees in the gree...I spend all summer catching bumblebees in the greenhouse and releasing them. I really should put a window in the further end - it never occurs to them (and why should it?) to turn round and fly back the way they came in.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00822383355869390919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29284826.post-11381961727169960622008-02-19T09:57:00.000+00:002008-02-19T09:57:00.000+00:00Bumblebees are the cuddliest little fellas. I'm no...Bumblebees are the cuddliest little fellas. I'm not great at buzzy things that fly in my face, but I find it hard to object to them.<BR/><BR/>Tell Sammy that Aunty Ninin is very proud, and Aunty Stephy is going to love his artwork!<BR/><BR/>LindseyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com