In late summer of 2022, I submitted a few of my honeybee images to the American Bee Jornal Magazine for their annual calendar. I was so excited to be chosen for one of the 2023 months. My image of worker bees lapping up honey is featured in February. If you would like to purchase a calendar from Dadant Beekeeping supply.
Here is the link.
The story behind the photo:
I was helping a friend inspect one of her hives in Loveland, Colorado. We dribbled a little bit of honey on the lower frames when we took off the upper deep. The ladies lined up started to clean up our mess. Since they were so still with their tongues out (Proboscis), it was the perfect opportunity to photograph them.
Bees have a 3-part tongue called a Proboscis. These three parts form a straw. It is like the human tongue; in that it is soft and can be extended.
Relative to the size of the average honeybee, the proboscis is long, a result of evolution helping the bee to reach the center of a flower to collect nectar. The proboscis is also used to clean their hairs or to groom one another, especially the queen.
Averages around 6.5 mm (0.25”).
