My sense of wonder is intact, as a flourishing great and ancient tree in a natural forest. Remember we recently relined the pond? The liner is tar based, can be cleaned off with water, while it is still wet. The empty cans were set aside in the garden. When I walked past the other day something Deep Middle said made me pause, and look. Bees. Harvesting tar, and packing it into their saddlebags, where nice fluffy yellow pollen should be.
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| Bee and tar |
Is that weird or what?? So I trawled the internet, and found a forum. Bees do collect tar – ‘but I’ve never seen it’. Ha – old wives tales and urban legends. Says the Ungardener maybe they need some glue? I sneer what – for their DIY projects?!
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| Bee and tar |
Trawl a little further on the internet for something I trust. Reliable like New Scientist (see page 58 on bee-glue or propolis). And guidelines for the Australian Honeybee Industry Council. He was right. They DO use tar, in lieu of plant resins, to make propolis. Used to repair cracks in the hive.
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| Bee and tar |
And if there are wax moths and snails in the hive. The bees can kill the intruders, but cannot remove the corpse. The dead snail is embalmed like the pharaohs, and sealed off.
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| Bee and tar |
Any theoretical entomologists or practical beekeepers (Curbstone Valley) out there? Is collecting tar normal behaviour for bees? Is tar good for them?! The Ungardener is wondering how they will get the tar OFF their saddlebags.
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| Bee and tar |
Having seen twenty bees busily harvesting tar together, I also see that they have burrowed down two bee heights to the metal. Not just the one errant bee, but a whole contingent returning again and again.
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| down to the metal |
South Africa also has oil bees, with particularly long front legs. They harvest the oil from the spurs on Diascia, or our wild orchids. But these seem to be commonorgarden honey bees.
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We are enjoying what I think of as English gardening weather. Cool, with some showers. (I know England is now having mediterranean hot dry summer weather, but still …). Yesterday I attacked the grey wave at the top of the waterfall. The Dusty Millers in the centre, have passed thru the silver fountain stage, to the doddering and staggering stage. Some participants have departed, as a row of wide-eyed and open-mouthed neighbours would tell you. I yanked out the dead and dying bushes. Harvested some nice vigorous cuttings and tucked them in. Last night it rained gently to settle them in. Now I’ll do a Charlie Brown and sit patiently on my little chair, waiting, waiting some more, still waiting, for that Grey Wave to return.
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| The Grey Wave will return |
On Friday I will be between garden and computer, working on The Dark Side, Autumn Fire, And Red Roses – quadrant of our Paradise Garden. One quadrant each week this May. Inspired by Jean I will be pruning hard.
by Diana of Elephant's Eye
- wildlife gardening in Porterville,
near Cape Town in South Africa
(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink.
Those are my links)
Diana - Fascinating info on the bees and tar - thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteMy Dusty Millers also need thinning - thanks for reminding me LOL
Dani
WOW The bee info was fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Jane x
Diana, the behaviour of the bees is incredible. What a pity I didn't know this some days ago, when I was talking to a beekeeper, I could have asked him about the tar.
ReplyDeleteI will roam my books and see if I can find something.
Have a nice day,
Elke
Diana, This is great bee information...and I am so glad you were able to find out more about this interesting behavior. The photos are super. Having so little sunny areas I've jam packed it with natives...but, a dusty miller here or there might be a nice compliment. gail
ReplyDeleteAn intriguing post Diana, with the documentary photography to back it up, and thanks for the link too :) I've never seen this sort of tar collecting behavior. We do see propolis in the hive every time we inspect. They use it to seal cracks (which makes it difficult to separate hive bodies in an inspection), and to glue down the frame bars, making those difficult to lift. If this is a synthetic tar, I can't imagine it's terribly good for them. Firstly, having had fresh road tar stuck to my car, it's darned difficult to remove :P Most concerning however would be if this tar is hydrocarbon/petroleum based. I would wonder then about direct toxicity to the bees as a result of ingestion. Not all tars are petroleum based, some are plant resins, which would of course be similar to any other propolis precursor, but an asphalt type tar would concern me. But now I'm curious. May have to do some sleuthing on this one!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. They must have been needing tar - and now you supplied it for them! Odd that they burrowed down to the metal - do you think it's softer tar underneath or some reason for them to do this?
ReplyDeleteCurbstone - this is petroleum based. But the links talk about tar, and I understand 'tarred roads'.
ReplyDeleteHolley - they go down to the metal, because the surface has dried to a crust, and they collect where it is still fluid. Similar to mud wasps, lining up, for the same small dab, of perfect clay.
This is the bees Plan B, but what would I need to plant for Plan A?
Absolutely fascinating behavior...now I want to know so much more..
ReplyDeleteHi Diana - Your photographs of the Bees are amazing! That 4th photo should be in a coffee table book! Very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting info Diana. I never heard of bees collecting tar, but like Clare said the plant based resins seem more logical.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog.
FlowerLady
I'm learning so much about bees this spring! Tar!?Crazy!
ReplyDeleteI suppose if they're working that hard at it, the bees must really, really want that tar. Keep us updated on what you observe/find out (if you're so inclined)!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wondering when the behavior started and how they do manage to get it off their bodies. Seconding Curbstone's concern about toxicity.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fascinating, Diana and beautifully photographed. Wonder if we need to have a re-think on the toxicity of tar?
ReplyDeleteNice description of 'Dusty Millers passing the silver fountain stage into the doddering and staggering stage'. I know the feeling
Laura
p.s. googled tar+bees and apparently 'busy as a bee in a tar bucket' was an early American saying
Laura PatioPatch - that early American saying is truly intriguing. At the back of my mind is the feeling that petroleum is fossilised plants. Perhaps the bees have evolved happily to use tar. Today when I looked there were 14 busy little bees in the bucket.
ReplyDeleteHi, Diana. Bees and tar? Now, that is interesting. :) I know about bees and honey, but this is the first time for me to read about these busy creatures associated with tar. So, I have you to thank for my learning tidbit of the day. :) I enjoyed it, thanks!
ReplyDeleteSharp eye for spotting that odd bee behaviour. I think posts like this help others look closer at what's happening in their gardens.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a wave of grey at the top of your garden!
I learned something new today...who knew bees fly about searching for tar to repair the hive. Those little yellow fellows sure are industrious and creative.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm curious and much do my own search.
Have a great day/evening!
This was incredibly interesting. I never knew about this either. Thanks for sharing and taking such superb photos.
ReplyDeleteThis is why we blog, so we can find out fascinating facts that we had no idea about before. I honestly thought this must be a joke at first, but it isn't.
ReplyDeleteVery very interesting.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Fascinating post. Gives new meaning to the term 'Busy as a bee' doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteLooks as if Awards will be popular and the nay sayers need not participate. I didn't remember about Stuart asking us to nominate ourselves, or did I misunderstand what you wrote? I remember signing up for Blotanical, forgetting to return to Blotanical for a couple of weeks and when I thought of it, I'd been nominated by someone else. There were people nominated who hadn't blogged in months, really.
I am amazed at your pictures... how did you take that close-up of the bee? What lens did you use, if I may ask?
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, Very interesting post and pictures. I had no idea that bees collected anything but pollen and flower nectar. You are very observant to have noticed the bees at work collecting the tar.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure which to be most startled by - the discovery that bees collect tar (and what they do with it) or the quality (amazing!) of the photos in this post.
ReplyDeleteI too would worry about what happens as the tar sets on the bees. Do they have non-stick pouches?
Would tar collecting affect the quality of the honey?
Esther
Nell Jean - as Laura pointed out 'busy as a bee in a tar bucket' is an early American saying - hoping someone will come up with some folklore / folk history. I did find 'my granpa used to say ...'
ReplyDeleteIn 2009 Stuart asked us to nominate ourselves for ... Best Photography Blog ... If you didn't know/nominate yourself, you weren't in the running. But the geographical awards were directly based on the map - if I/Blotanical say I am in ... Africa ... I can be Best in Africa (in 2009!)
LRonG - mine is the Canon Powershot. If you look at the pictures again - 4 is a detail from 1, and 5 is a detail from 3. It amazes me quite how much detail there IS in the pictures we take. Almost all my pictures are trimmed, a little, or a LOT!!
Esther - the tar is used to make propolis. In a different department to the wax or honey.
interesting! i have never head of this happening before... and such great pics!
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I immediately wondered how they got the tar out of the saddlebags. Obviously, they have a way. Terrific post, with terrific photos!
ReplyDeleteTruly fascinating! Social insects are to me one of the great wonders of nature, and bees the royalty. And lovely pics!
ReplyDeleteHow intriguing. Bees do DIY - hope the petroleum based nasties aren't nasty for them. I suppose it depends on whether the process requires them to ingest any? Good to have a well primed and developed sense of wonder.
ReplyDeleteIncredible stuff! Many thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBertie