5 replies to this topic

[ctantkeeper]

i have recently learned that social sweat bees exist in CT. i would love to learn more about them but sadly info on this particular group is quite limited. if you can, please answer the following questions

 

1. do they have a male caste and if so how do winged queens and male propagate (start colonies)?

2. how would you raise them

[ctantkeeper]

3. how large do colonies normally get?

[James C. Trager]

Social sweat bees are described as primitively social. Queens and workers are distinguished by behavior, but not by appearance. The colonies are small, fewer than 20 bees per colony, often only 4-6. Males are produced mostly later in the season, and some overwinter as pupae and emerge in spring. They hang around flowers awaiting females, and do not contribute to the work of the colony. Mated females can start a nest burrow and raise a few workers alone.

[ctantkeeper]

so the queen and worker are of the same morphological caste. is there anything I can use to tell males, workers, queens apart? and what about the reproductive system of the female castes? do workers and queens share a similar reproductive system (can worker mate once and be able to reproduce for life?)

[dermy]

Just to clarify for everyone, are you trying to raise these up or something?

[ctantkeeper]

yes, I am considering it