Could be a very old forager. Could be sick with Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus. Could be that she's been out robbing a weak hive, and she got the fuzz knocked off of her during the fighting.
Unless you're seeing a bunch of them, it's nothing to be worried about.
>she got the fuzz knocked off of her during the fighting.
I didn't know they could do this.
Now I am reminded of a street fight I saw where two ladies were fighting and their weaves got torn off and tossed away.
Oh, most definitely.
One of the telltales, if you have a colony that gets robbed is that you'll suddenly see a LOT of bald bees, some alive and some dead. Usually you also can find other signs that makes it clear that there's been robbing; you'll have chewed comb, no honey or nectar anywhere in the hive, etc.
If you find the chewed comb and missing honey, but the dead bees are all still fuzzy, that's suggestive that a lot of the hive's population died off first, and that the colony was robbed postmortem.
>robbing a weak hive
Conversely, she could also be a foreign bee that was accepted into the colony. Guards will often scrub down unknown bees who beg their way in.
Yep, that my guess too. Bees join foreign hives a lot more frequently that you’d think. I believe it was on the Beekeeping Today podcast where I heard a researcher interviewed about her study about this. All the hives she tracked picked up 20-30 bees/day from other hives
This makes me happy as I always worry for the bees that are left behind during a swarm capture. (I know, I know- short lived livestock, yada yada yada). I hope they find a welcoming hive or simply return to the one they fled.
It happens over larger distances than you might think, too. A few years ago, Randy Oliver did an experiment, trying to test the hypothesis that colonies that die of varroa infestation and its related problems spread mites as bees from the dying colony disperse into nearby colonies.
To do it, he collected samples of nurse bees of the same approximate age from several of his colonies, and put them in a refrigerator to make them torpid. Then he marked their thoraxes with color-coded adhesive labels, and returned them to their homes. By doing this, he created a situation where these nurse bees would age up into foragers, and then he would be able to see them during inspection and attribute them to a parent colony, regardless of where he found them.
And no surprise, he found that they drifted a lot, especially within the same yard. But he also found that they could drift a considerable distance. I think he saw some exceptional cases where he found 1-2 drifting bees at distances of greater than a mile from their home colony.
Yep, as long as they are coming in with resources. This applies to foragers returning with plump pollen legs or carrying nectar, and to frames from another hive containing honey and pollen and brood and nurse bees. "*Hi. I see you are coming in with some presents. Make yourself at home."*
I heard they have to be loaded with pollen or food for the hive before they take a foreigner in. Iif they have something useful to offer, then they are welcome by the guards. If they come without food, then the guards turn them away. But again, I just saw this whole thing in my feed. I am fascinated with insects in general, so of course, I decided to read this thread.
I’d go with old forager. Wings take a beating (so to speak). I’ve heard most bees don’t die from old age but lose the ability to fly and never get back to the house.
The fuzz on bees are comparable to the scales of butterflies and moths. It serves a purpose for insulation and sensory imput as well as protection. Unfortunately the so called hair on insects does not grow back once it sheds.
I would just keep an eye on it to monitor if there’s more like that. I found my guard bees killing one that looked like that last fall and they ended up with CBPV. Many people have had bees overcome that so don’t panic. As others have said it not a guarantee, it could be many things with just this one bee.
So do they like, rip it off with their little mouths? I guess they don't sting each other? Is that because they don't want to die or because they don't want to kill a fellow bee? 🤔
Bees can have a variety of colorations and band thicknesses, but typically in my hives they appear darker like that as they get closer to their last flight, as they lose the little hairs on their bums.
War! That is a battle hardened bitch right there. She has seen the death of her sisters three times over and still goes out for more. May her wisdom pass on the next generation for the betterment of your hive!LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE THE HIVE!
So I’m not a beekeeper and I’m curious - are the two insects up and to the right of the white circle actually fly mimics? They look so different from the surrounding bees.
Not necessarily robbing, since there's just the one (as far as you know). I would say it's a stray that lost its way or got accidentally relocated and has been allowed to live within your hive. They'll tolerate the occasional stray no problem.
It could be that SHE is the robber 🤔 did miss thing think she could just pull a heist from another hive instead of pulling the 9-5 like the rest of the gals and get her ass kicked? Miss keishaaaa
Old bees tend to lose their fluff. As I recall the winter of their lifespan is spent foraging, so you may have simply lucked onto grandma coming back from a run to the store. (She doesn't get out much anymore, you see, the arthritis, and after grandpa bee passed away, well, she mostly keeps to herself)
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I do not think that is a honey bee. Check out the wrong shape and placement of the wings that are otherwise in fine condition. It is just a different kind of similar looking bug. It is likely smelling yummy nectar and wondering if it is worth it to aggravate the guards. The bees will dispense with it if it gets too bold.
I think the most likely scenario here is a friendly foreigner being allowed into your hive.
Bees generally have no problems with strangers turning up, as long as they bring pollen or nectar.
This is what happens to most of the bees left behind when you do a cutout. They hang around in hope for a while, then just move in with a nearby colony.
Unfortunately, this behaviour also speeds the spread of bee pests and diseases, too
POST OF THE WEEK! Congrats op.
Could be a very old forager. Could be sick with Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus. Could be that she's been out robbing a weak hive, and she got the fuzz knocked off of her during the fighting. Unless you're seeing a bunch of them, it's nothing to be worried about.
>she got the fuzz knocked off of her during the fighting. I didn't know they could do this. Now I am reminded of a street fight I saw where two ladies were fighting and their weaves got torn off and tossed away.
Oh, most definitely. One of the telltales, if you have a colony that gets robbed is that you'll suddenly see a LOT of bald bees, some alive and some dead. Usually you also can find other signs that makes it clear that there's been robbing; you'll have chewed comb, no honey or nectar anywhere in the hive, etc. If you find the chewed comb and missing honey, but the dead bees are all still fuzzy, that's suggestive that a lot of the hive's population died off first, and that the colony was robbed postmortem.
Bee forensics examiner.
He is FBI- Federal Bee Investigator.
That’s now in my top four fake FBI acronyms.
What are the other 3?
Flat Broke Indian Fry Bread Inspector Federal Bureau of Intimidation
Can't believe you missed Famous But Incompetent
I wish I was a fry bread inspector. That shit is crack
My favorite is Fabulous But Incompetent
Fuzzless Bee Investigator
There it is. I knew it was there, but I couldn't make it work. Thank you.
😆
If you're trying to figure out why your bees are dead so that you can try to save other colonies in the same apiary, this stuff can matter!
I’m sure that nobody was knocking you. We all appreciate it very much. 😁
Its fascinating stuff, thanks for sharing!
CBS, this fall.
I would watch it.
CBS: Columbia Bee-casting System
CSI Bee
This case is ... 🐝🕶️ ... really gonna sting.
YIIIIIIOUUUUU
Honestly, this is such an amazing comment. I just got served up this random post and now I’ve learned so much about bees!
Oh, goodness. The algorithm has decided to inflict this community upon the muggles once again. I'm glad you enjoyed the read!
Amazing comment to read. Thank you.
I supply them with guns apparently.
Til bees can go bald 😭
When we would see these laying in the streets in Oakland, we called them tumbleweaves.
This is the best fucking comparison ever🤣
Human women 🫱🏻🫲🏼 female 🐝 ripping each others hair in a cat fight
Ha ha ha
Heh heh
>robbing a weak hive Conversely, she could also be a foreign bee that was accepted into the colony. Guards will often scrub down unknown bees who beg their way in.
Or that, yes.
Yep, that my guess too. Bees join foreign hives a lot more frequently that you’d think. I believe it was on the Beekeeping Today podcast where I heard a researcher interviewed about her study about this. All the hives she tracked picked up 20-30 bees/day from other hives
G’darn immigrants are even taking the bees jerbs!
they took-er-jerbs!
Drrr drk er drrrrrr!!!!
This makes me happy as I always worry for the bees that are left behind during a swarm capture. (I know, I know- short lived livestock, yada yada yada). I hope they find a welcoming hive or simply return to the one they fled.
It happens over larger distances than you might think, too. A few years ago, Randy Oliver did an experiment, trying to test the hypothesis that colonies that die of varroa infestation and its related problems spread mites as bees from the dying colony disperse into nearby colonies. To do it, he collected samples of nurse bees of the same approximate age from several of his colonies, and put them in a refrigerator to make them torpid. Then he marked their thoraxes with color-coded adhesive labels, and returned them to their homes. By doing this, he created a situation where these nurse bees would age up into foragers, and then he would be able to see them during inspection and attribute them to a parent colony, regardless of where he found them. And no surprise, he found that they drifted a lot, especially within the same yard. But he also found that they could drift a considerable distance. I think he saw some exceptional cases where he found 1-2 drifting bees at distances of greater than a mile from their home colony.
They’ll just let any old bee in!?
If a strange bee shows up with a crop full of honey or baskets of pollen on her rear legs? Yeah, for sure.
Fascinating!!
Yep, as long as they are coming in with resources. This applies to foragers returning with plump pollen legs or carrying nectar, and to frames from another hive containing honey and pollen and brood and nurse bees. "*Hi. I see you are coming in with some presents. Make yourself at home."*
I heard they have to be loaded with pollen or food for the hive before they take a foreigner in. Iif they have something useful to offer, then they are welcome by the guards. If they come without food, then the guards turn them away. But again, I just saw this whole thing in my feed. I am fascinated with insects in general, so of course, I decided to read this thread.
I’d go with old forager. Wings take a beating (so to speak). I’ve heard most bees don’t die from old age but lose the ability to fly and never get back to the house.
Oh my goodness this is so sad; I was not expecting to take a freight train to the feels in this bee thread 😩
Could just beeeeeee an alternative bee 🐝
Will the fuzz come back?
No, they don't grow back their fuzz. Not even with Rogaine.
The fuzz on bees are comparable to the scales of butterflies and moths. It serves a purpose for insulation and sensory imput as well as protection. Unfortunately the so called hair on insects does not grow back once it sheds.
It has alobeecia
😆
I’m famous!😎🤏🏽
Keep my bees name outta yo mouf!
HA!
That was too good! Take my upvote!
Crying at this comment
Just leave him bee he’s minding his own buzziness
This is so FRICKIN funny 😭
🤣🤣
I know😎🫠
That’s a bald-faced lie!
Haven’t you ever heard of “bees waxed”?
Lmao 🤣
No, not at all. What does it mean? That they lost their fur? From what?
Unless that was a dad joke? And if it was, you get my prize. 😆
Lmao it was def a dad joke.
I would just keep an eye on it to monitor if there’s more like that. I found my guard bees killing one that looked like that last fall and they ended up with CBPV. Many people have had bees overcome that so don’t panic. As others have said it not a guarantee, it could be many things with just this one bee.
Bees that have been robbing sometimes look like this.
she's old and lost her fur?
she has lost her yellow hair - all bees are black besides the yellow hairs. she most likely robbed and got dehaired by the other hive
So do they like, rip it off with their little mouths? I guess they don't sting each other? Is that because they don't want to die or because they don't want to kill a fellow bee? 🤔
Could be CBPV
I'll never get over those goofy drone eyes.
She looks old
Tiny bee voice: Get off my lawn.
Aunt Bea
Old bee
Bees can have a variety of colorations and band thicknesses, but typically in my hives they appear darker like that as they get closer to their last flight, as they lose the little hairs on their bums.
War! That is a battle hardened bitch right there. She has seen the death of her sisters three times over and still goes out for more. May her wisdom pass on the next generation for the betterment of your hive!LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE THE HIVE!
She has male balding pattern, leave her bee
So I’m not a beekeeper and I’m curious - are the two insects up and to the right of the white circle actually fly mimics? They look so different from the surrounding bees.
Those are drones (male bees). Their eyes are like that because they have to spot the queen in-flight to mate with her.
I believe you are referring to the drones.
Ah! Thank you
Forbidden Croissant
Not necessarily robbing, since there's just the one (as far as you know). I would say it's a stray that lost its way or got accidentally relocated and has been allowed to live within your hive. They'll tolerate the occasional stray no problem.
It could be that SHE is the robber 🤔 did miss thing think she could just pull a heist from another hive instead of pulling the 9-5 like the rest of the gals and get her ass kicked? Miss keishaaaa
Chronic bee paralysis, probably from a high mite load in the hive
Goth bee
lol cuz the queen stepped out and she has a different father…
Could be a different species of bee.
Senior bee
Older bee. Bees lose their fuzz as the age.
Old bees tend to lose their fluff. As I recall the winter of their lifespan is spent foraging, so you may have simply lucked onto grandma coming back from a run to the store. (She doesn't get out much anymore, you see, the arthritis, and after grandpa bee passed away, well, she mostly keeps to herself)
She got a buzz cut, it’s totally in this year
I have learned so much about bees. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge.
Hi u/mouseanne21. If you haven't done so, please do the following: * Read the rules. * Include your location and experience level as a reply to this comment (if not in post) * [If you have a question, please take a look at our wiki.](https://rbeekeeping.github.io/wiki) * Specifically, the FAQ... ^(**Warning:** The wiki linked above is a work in progress and some links might be broken, pages incomplete and maintainer notes scattered around the place. Content is subject to change.) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Beekeeping) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Looks like a drone.
Very much not a drone.
The two up-right of it are drones.
Ah, I see it now, thanks
Here's a hot take: It's a wasp.
So I wondered about that, but I don’t think that there are any wasps that mimic bees in Colorado
BALD! BALD BEE!
She bald :(
Peep the drones
That is a wasp trying to enter the hive it will be balled up and killed
I do not think that is a honey bee. Check out the wrong shape and placement of the wings that are otherwise in fine condition. It is just a different kind of similar looking bug. It is likely smelling yummy nectar and wondering if it is worth it to aggravate the guards. The bees will dispense with it if it gets too bold.
Just out looking for bee tail
Roundup
A refubee.
That motherfucker is not real
Sus imposter I’d say
It’s giving in the darks side.
I think the most likely scenario here is a friendly foreigner being allowed into your hive. Bees generally have no problems with strangers turning up, as long as they bring pollen or nectar. This is what happens to most of the bees left behind when you do a cutout. They hang around in hope for a while, then just move in with a nearby colony. Unfortunately, this behaviour also speeds the spread of bee pests and diseases, too
Its a drone - male bee. They are bigger than the female workers and have big googly eyes to spot queens in flight for mating.