Did you know that bees have proboscis?

Bees have a small proboscis, did you know? The mouthparts of bees , bumblebees and all insects that feed on nectar, in fact, are not chewing but sucking, to allow the animal to suck the nourishment from the flowers. Let's find out some curiosities about the subject together.

The mouthparts of bees

The bees' proboscis is long and flexible. On the lower lip (called labium) there is a tongue between 5 and 7 millimeters long, hollow and retractable. The proboscis is very important for bees as it allows them to reach deep inside the flowers to obtain nectar.

As for the jaws, bees have two and are located on the sides of the mouth cavity. The latter have the function of grasping solid substances like a forceps , but not of lacerating surfaces. For example, if a bee wanted to tear the skin of any fruit, it would not succeed. The mouthparts of bees are called sucking lips.

Also the jaws are 2 and have the function of forming the channel for sucking liquids with the other appendages. The lower lip is made up of various parts that also contribute to the formation of the suction channels. The tongue is the longest part of the mouth and is crossed by a groove where saliva flows. It ends with a spoon opening called the labellum.

Functions of the mouthparts of bees

The mouthparts of bees are truly amazing. It is adapted to many uses.

The use of the jaws is used for the supply of resin which is taken from the bark of plants and trees thanks to the latter. Bees also use them to move dead bee carcasses, waste or even to move larvae and mold wax . When the jaws are not used they are folded under the body and become almost invisible.

As for the trunk, bees use it differently depending on the composition of the food to be taken. In the case of nectar, it is directly aspirated. On the other hand, when the food is solid, the bee first secretes saliva, dissolves the substances and only then sucks them in. Bees are very cooperative animals, in fact they share together the food they are able to obtain and this process is called trophylaxis. During the trophylaxis the bee stretches its trunk, approaches it to the bee and delivers the substance.

Regarding the tongue of bees, it has an important function relating to personal hygiene: insects use it to keep their body clean, that of the queen bee and even the interior of the hive.

Difference between worker bees, drones and queen bee

Anatomically, the proboscis of female bees is more developed than that of drones. In fact, the males have a very small mouth apparatus, moreover they do not have the mandibular glands. Even the queen does not have a very developed mouthparts since her main function is not in the supply of food but in reproduction. In fact, the queen bee compensates for this weakness related to its proboscis with a very developed reproductive system compared to that of all the other bees in the hive which, on the other hand, cannot be fertilized.

Drones are very dependent on worker bees . In fact, the latter take care of feeding them and procuring food constantly for them too. The drones would not be able to survive alone since their trunk, being shorter, does not allow them to get food and take it directly from the flowers independently.

Sometimes worker bees stop feeding drones. This happens for example when male bees are unable to mate with the queen during the nuptial flight. In this case, when they return to the hive, they are no longer welcomed, the other bees stop sharing food with them and the drones go to death.

How bees make honey

The honey production is an essential element for the survival of the hive. Bees work hard to store enough food supplies . Honey is nothing more than the result of the transformation of nectar and pollen processed in such a way as to be preserved over time.

Nectar and pollen, once introduced into the hive, are transformed into honey by enzymes that the bees themselves produce. The nectar is very rich in water and to be stored in the form of honey it is heated in such a way that the water inside it evaporates completely. This happens through a careful ventilation process that the bees put in place through the movement of their wings.

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