h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

closer with Drones

>But it was a length of piping wasn't it?<

Yes.

Workers "grow" several queens at once. The first to emerge from her cell then promptly murders all her siblings so that there's only one new queen in the hive. She then seeks out the old queen and kills her as well, by whacking her over the head with a length of a lead pipe? (Or possibly her sting? )

RF

yup...

How long?...

Workers "grow" several queens at once. The first to emerge from her cell then promptly murders all her siblings so that there's only one new queen in the hive.

Correct +3


And the piping?

Is this going to be a gross one, where the queen sticks her proboscis (sp?) into the other queen cells, and drinks them?

No, nothing like that. Deceptively innocent.


So you have 1 hive full of drones and workers a couple of Queens.

What happens next?

the queens fight to the death and try to sting each other, the sting on a queen is a hollow pipe with no barbs so can sting multiple times

Actually I thought one (the new one) of the Queens left the hive to start up a new Hive of her own...

I've already mentioned the sting bit - albeit about a wasp doing the stinging...

BTW did anybody else have a period of non-connection about half an hour ago? Lots of 500 errors...

Actually I thought one (the new one) of the Queens left the hive to start up a new Hive of her own...

Yes but what has to happen to the successful Queen for that to happen?

Taff Correct +6

But the Piping - what is it for?

if there is not enough food i suspect the queen and a portion of the hive swarm and look for pastures new, the remainder, then do the royal jelly thing, and the surviving queen takes over the hive???

But how does the piping feature into this whole process?

Incidentally, while we are looking at beehives, does anyone know if there has been any progress in figuring out the cause(s) of Colony Collapse Disorder? Or is that still a complete mystery?


Geggs

Mystery - I've not heard anything new although I've a memory that wasn't it supposed to be a fungus or have I just made that up?

The pipe down which a beekeeper's smoke comes?

Taff was right with his info about how the Queens fight... I take it this is just the Queens which hatch at the same time...

"Yes but what has to happen to the successful Queen for that to happen?"

She has to get her own drones/workers?

(incidentally where does Royal Jelly come into this?)

Piping.... Could honeycomb be described as piping?

Yes I meant to award him a DGI +1



>She has to get her own drones/workers<

Spot on!


Correct +3


>Could honeycomb be described as piping<

Ah hmm yes I see - no, that's not what I had in mind.

OK, piping, back to a sound/noise...

Do Bees make any noise other than a "buzz" - maybe Queen's make a "piping" noise when they fight? Or does the piping noise knockout/kill the other queen?

That'll do. Correct +3

Virgin queens upon emerging 'pipe' (actually a vibration) a series of notes between A and G Sharp. To get the drones and workers on side. If there are multiple Queens, they each try to 'out-pipe' the other before entering into a fight to the death, then they take the hive swarm and fly off victorious.


You can hear it here, it's the pheeeeeeep peep peeep peeep peeep noise.
Lasting for about two seconds then a series of quarter-seconded 'toots'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qXLEZejRow

Oooh....