The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIf only the US were a honey bee colony
In addition to being highly organized, and highly efficient, honey bee colonies have some fascinating behaviors.
For example, they have 3 classes of "citizens":
The Queen:
usually only one - But she does not rule. She is basically an egg laying resource for the colony and is pampered and protected and herded and bossed around - as long as she does her damn job. If she falters, gets old, or the colony decides she isn't working out, they raise a new queen and either kill the old one or send her packing.
The workers:
These are the joint rulers of the colony. Female only, they hold a series of very specialized jobs from birth to death. They start out as nurse bees, take turns controlling the air flow in the hive, there are water gathers, scouts, foragers, and guard bees. If one of the workers faulters, or gets sick, they will voluntarily leave the hive (or be forced out). You can only stay if you contribute to the survival of the colony.
And finally, the Drones.
Males only. Their ONLY role is to mate with a virgin queen. Siily boys don't know that their ejaculations are so powerful they blow their abdomens apart. They are a once and done crowd. (the virgin quenn will mate with as many as 30 drones in a wild weekend away). While they are hanging out at the hive, they are fed and cared for by the workers. They don't do any of the work in the colony. They don't even have stingers. One job. Oh, and they can freeload on any hive they like. guard bees from other colonies just let them in. Not so for workers.
But in fall, the drones job is done and the colony will drive their free loading butts out of the hive and into the cold to die. There is no reason for a colony to keep them around consuming resources all winter long. They are simply cast out.
And so it should be for trump and his gang of freeloaders. Fall is almost here, and it is time to kick them out to die in the cold.
Just a thought from a hobby beekeeper....
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)Let's drive them into prison!
Thx for the bee info!
Phoenix61
(17,003 posts)bee and butterfly friendly. Maybe one day Ill try my hand at beekeeping. It sounds like a fascinating endeavor.
handmade34
(22,756 posts)have mostly, for years, come from tending and watching my bees....
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2020/03/photos-reveal-wild-honeybees-intimate-lives-inside-a-tree-feature/
Ferrets are Cool
(21,106 posts)there are SOOOOOOOOOO many problems with this analogy.
demigoddess
(6,640 posts)the oregano flowers.
sarge43
(28,941 posts)An herb garden makes them very very happy.