Friday, May 11, 2012
How do they know?
Both of the rosebushes by my front porch are getting ready to bloom. I'm watching for the pop, and the bees are also watching. They hover near the buds impatiently, saying "Come on! We want color! We want smell! We want nectar!" The smaller bees actually stand on the protruding tip of the bud, looking down at the place where the red will appear.
How do they know? The buds are small and tightly closed, won't be popping for a week or so. Each bud is the same color as the leaves, and doesn't have a smell that my dull hominid nose can detect. Is it emitting some sort of pre-bloom note? A flower promo? "Coming soon! Don't miss the excitement! And be sure to pick up your free pollen gift!"
= = = = =
Later update: Most likely an electrostatic charge signal. It's becoming obvious that bees do a large part of their sensing and communicating by capacitive methods.
= = = = =
Another local note: The neighborhood feels like a distinctly old-fashioned place this year. Kids are playing outside till the sun goes down, with some adult supervision. They're clearly getting lots of exercise and sun, and they're looking less like bloated South Park characters than they did when I first came here in 1990. Seems to be a generally healthy trend. Recessionary influence? Less focus on fantasy and future, more focus on enjoying reality?
Both of the rosebushes by my front porch are getting ready to bloom. I'm watching for the pop, and the bees are also watching. They hover near the buds impatiently, saying "Come on! We want color! We want smell! We want nectar!" The smaller bees actually stand on the protruding tip of the bud, looking down at the place where the red will appear.
How do they know? The buds are small and tightly closed, won't be popping for a week or so. Each bud is the same color as the leaves, and doesn't have a smell that my dull hominid nose can detect. Is it emitting some sort of pre-bloom note? A flower promo? "Coming soon! Don't miss the excitement! And be sure to pick up your free pollen gift!"
= = = = =
Later update: Most likely an electrostatic charge signal. It's becoming obvious that bees do a large part of their sensing and communicating by capacitive methods.
= = = = =
Another local note: The neighborhood feels like a distinctly old-fashioned place this year. Kids are playing outside till the sun goes down, with some adult supervision. They're clearly getting lots of exercise and sun, and they're looking less like bloated South Park characters than they did when I first came here in 1990. Seems to be a generally healthy trend. Recessionary influence? Less focus on fantasy and future, more focus on enjoying reality?
Labels: bee, Grand Blueprint
¶ 1:42 PM
