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Dwarf Honey Bee: 3. Bees have absconded

on 25th October 2018

Dwarf Honey Bee: 1. Colony; 2. What happens when it rains?”.

Single comb viewed from below.

Less than a week after the colony of Dwarf Honey Bee (Apis andreniformis) colony was detected on a branch of the Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) tree LINK, the bees suddenly disappeared in the morning, leaving the single honeycomb exposed (above, below).

Single comb viewed from the side.

The curtains of bees hanging from the top of the honeycomb, totally covering it, were gone. Only the main light brownish portion and the white upper and lower portions of the comb were left (above, below). There were a few bees left crawling around the honeycomb.

These bees usually abandon the nest when threatened by predators or because of scarcity of food. No Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus) was sighted, after all the honeycomb was intact. It was possible that food scarcity was the reason. The flowering of the Yellow Penda trees was, after all, on the decline. Furthermore, it had been raining for a few days that may have prevented the bees from foraging LINK.

Newly emerged Dwarf Honey Bee from cell.

For the next few days the bees did not return, leaving the honeycomb unprotected. Obviously, the swarm was building another colony elsewhere.

Newly emerged Dwarf Honey Bee. Scale in mm.

YC Wee
Singapore
8th October 2018

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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