I love drone eviction. I get a vicarious pleasure from watching the little workers take down their lazy male nest mates. In spite of this being a blurry photo, I like the image of the worker mandibles ready to a take a chomp on brother bee. I just don’t see worker mandibles spread and ready that often. The worker at the left is on top of the drone, riding him like a horse, and a third worker is on the other side, going after his right wing. Life in a hive is anything but peaceful.
A worker during a drone eviction spreads her mandibles ready to bite.
Okay, Rusty. I applauded yesterday’s article; however, now I feel obliged to defend my brothers, the drones, against your unfair characterization of them as “lazy”. I would point out that they are not equipped by mother nature (a stingy woman) to do all the tasks performed by the females of their species. They can’t feed the larvae, the queen, or the foragers. They have no wax glands to build comb. Without stingers they are useless in battle…perhaps if they joined the NRA they could be equipped with AK 47’s…
They are not capable of collecting pollen or nectar. If they ever stumbled across a forage site, I’m sure their waggle dancing skills would rival that of a club footed accountant. In short, they do exactly that which they are equipped to do; mate, and, I would be remiss not to point out, give their life in the process (tear rolls down my cheek). No, these brave souls are not lazy, they are heroic. Life in the colonies could not exist without them. They should be accorded with the proper respect and reverence lauded upon gonads throughout the animal kingdom! Now, where’s my wife? I need a sandwich…:)
Cheers
Jim
Jim,
I knew the counterattack would come . . . I just didn’t know from where! I wouldn’t worry about the AK 47s . . . they probably can’t shoot straight either.
“In spite of this being a blurry photo, I like the image of the worker mandibles ready to a take a chomp on bother bee.” I assume you meant brother bee?
Debbie,
Yes, and thank you!
Hehehe, very nice Jim! Hats off to the heroic drone =)