Posts Tagged: cleaning

Cleaning the Tongue: A, B, C

So here you are, a honey bee seeking nectar from an unopened citrus blossom. And then your tongue (proboscis) becomes all sticky with pollen, nectar and other particles. What to do: you, the worker bee, take a brief break and clean your tongue. Problem solved. This "B" gets an "A" for good...

A honey bee takes a break and cleans her proboscis (tongue) after foraging on a citrus blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee takes a break and cleans her proboscis (tongue) after foraging on a citrus blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Break over and time to get back to work! A worker bee and a mandarin blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Break over and time to get back to work! A worker bee and a mandarin blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ever Seen a Honey Bee Cleaning Her Tongue?

We humans brush our teeth, and we sometimes brush our tongues. But have you ever seen a honey bee cleaning her tongue? Bay Nature contributing editor Alison Hawks recently asked two of our UC Davis bee experts why bees clean themselves.  Their joint answer is posted on the Bay Nature website...

A honey bee cleaning her tongue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee cleaning her tongue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Tongue in Cheek

The honey bee nectaring the Penstemon, aka Beardtongue, in Tomales, Calif., didn't seem to mind my presence. Perfect. The amber-colored bee was foraging among the purple two-lipped flowers. The plant derives its name from what appears to be a "tongue" (staminode) poking from the "mouth" of the...

Honey Bee

HONEY BEE pauses after nectaring the purple Penstamon and begins to extend her tongue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Cleaning Her Tongue

HONEY BEE extends her tongue to its full length and cleans it with brushes of her hair on her forelegs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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