Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest
Abstract Honey bees process nectar into honey by active evaporation on the tongue and passive evaporation involving nest ventilation and fanning behaviour, as well as enzymatic action. The elimination of excess water from nectar carries considerable energetic costs. The concentration of the nectar l...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20626-5 |
| _version_ | 1811202806506323968 |
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| author | Susan W. Nicolson Hannelie Human Christian W. W. Pirk |
| author_facet | Susan W. Nicolson Hannelie Human Christian W. W. Pirk |
| author_sort | Susan W. Nicolson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Honey bees process nectar into honey by active evaporation on the tongue and passive evaporation involving nest ventilation and fanning behaviour, as well as enzymatic action. The elimination of excess water from nectar carries considerable energetic costs. The concentration of the nectar load is assumed to remain constant during transport. However, some of this water elimination may occur before foragers return to the nest and pass their nectar loads to receiver bees. In honey bees captured while foraging in Macadamia orchards, we show that the nectar in their crops has approximately twice the sugar concentration of the fresh nectar in flowers. This was true for four Macadamia cultivars, with up to 75% of the initial water content being removed. There is a further concentration increase in the crops of returning bees captured at the hive entrance. The only possible route of water elimination from the crop is via evaporation from the mouthparts. We calculate the savings in honey processing costs to be on average 35 times more than the reduction in flight costs due to reduced body mass. Pre-concentration of nectar in foraging honey bees may be widespread, and of crucial importance for honey storage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:45:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f62f7967bc70470eb9e22de1894b47e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:45:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-f62f7967bc70470eb9e22de1894b47e92022-12-22T03:51:11ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-09-011211810.1038/s41598-022-20626-5Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nestSusan W. Nicolson0Hannelie Human1Christian W. W. Pirk2Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of PretoriaDepartment of Zoology and Entomology, University of PretoriaDepartment of Zoology and Entomology, University of PretoriaAbstract Honey bees process nectar into honey by active evaporation on the tongue and passive evaporation involving nest ventilation and fanning behaviour, as well as enzymatic action. The elimination of excess water from nectar carries considerable energetic costs. The concentration of the nectar load is assumed to remain constant during transport. However, some of this water elimination may occur before foragers return to the nest and pass their nectar loads to receiver bees. In honey bees captured while foraging in Macadamia orchards, we show that the nectar in their crops has approximately twice the sugar concentration of the fresh nectar in flowers. This was true for four Macadamia cultivars, with up to 75% of the initial water content being removed. There is a further concentration increase in the crops of returning bees captured at the hive entrance. The only possible route of water elimination from the crop is via evaporation from the mouthparts. We calculate the savings in honey processing costs to be on average 35 times more than the reduction in flight costs due to reduced body mass. Pre-concentration of nectar in foraging honey bees may be widespread, and of crucial importance for honey storage.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20626-5 |
| spellingShingle | Susan W. Nicolson Hannelie Human Christian W. W. Pirk Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest Scientific Reports |
| title | Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest |
| title_full | Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest |
| title_fullStr | Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest |
| title_short | Honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest |
| title_sort | honey bees save energy in honey processing by dehydrating nectar before returning to the nest |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20626-5 |
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