Communication in the Honey Bee
through Pheromones
through Pheromones
This subject is very complex. Pheromones are chemicals produced by bees in order to produce a reaction in other bees within the colony. They are grouped in to two groups primers and releasers although some produce both effects.
Brood, Workers, Queens and drones all produce pheromones.
Primers act to produce a longterm physiological effect on the other members of the colony. The queen mandibular pheromone is part of the Queen Retinue Pheromones and helps to control the workers activity by letting them know they have a good fertile queen present. It prevents the development of worker ovaries.
Releasers act to produce an immediate short lasting effect on their sisters. A good example is the workers' alarm pheromone produced by the Koschevnikov gland becoming accessible via the sting sheath and the hairy setosa membrane.
Pheromones from the two different castes and the two different sexes have effects on each other. some pheromones come together to produce a "Queen Retinue Pheromone"
Brood, Workers, Queens and drones all produce pheromones.
Primers act to produce a longterm physiological effect on the other members of the colony. The queen mandibular pheromone is part of the Queen Retinue Pheromones and helps to control the workers activity by letting them know they have a good fertile queen present. It prevents the development of worker ovaries.
Releasers act to produce an immediate short lasting effect on their sisters. A good example is the workers' alarm pheromone produced by the Koschevnikov gland becoming accessible via the sting sheath and the hairy setosa membrane.
Pheromones from the two different castes and the two different sexes have effects on each other. some pheromones come together to produce a "Queen Retinue Pheromone"
Scientific Beekeeping
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Chemical Communication in the Honey Bee Society.
Dictionary to help with this subject:
Ester: is a chemical compound derived from an acid in which at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O–alkyl (alkoxy) group
Ethyl; two carbon atoms joined together in a larger molecule.
Methyl: an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms - CH3.
Fatty acid esters: a type of ester that results from the combination of a fatty acid with an alcohol.
Hydrocarbon: compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen.
Karimone: A signal that benefits an individual of another species which receives it, and harms the originator.
Allomone: A signal that benefits the organism which originated the signal to the detriment of another species.
Synomone: Benefits both the originating organism and the receiving organism.
Primer pheromones: act at a physiological level, triggering complex and long-term responses in the receiver and generating both developmental and behavioral changes.
Releaser pheromones; have a weaker effect, generating a simple and transitory response that influences the receiver only at the behavioral level.
Ester: is a chemical compound derived from an acid in which at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O–alkyl (alkoxy) group
Ethyl; two carbon atoms joined together in a larger molecule.
Methyl: an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms - CH3.
Fatty acid esters: a type of ester that results from the combination of a fatty acid with an alcohol.
Hydrocarbon: compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen.
Karimone: A signal that benefits an individual of another species which receives it, and harms the originator.
Allomone: A signal that benefits the organism which originated the signal to the detriment of another species.
Synomone: Benefits both the originating organism and the receiving organism.
Primer pheromones: act at a physiological level, triggering complex and long-term responses in the receiver and generating both developmental and behavioral changes.
Releaser pheromones; have a weaker effect, generating a simple and transitory response that influences the receiver only at the behavioral level.
This image can be downloaded for better definition.
Jackie Elliott
