[MooseHole]

quote:I've heard that it's theoretically impossible for Bees to fly...but I remember last summer seeing a Bee...and I'm sure it flew !!..so..tell me why it can fly when it's not supposed to bee able too

Regarding whether bees can fly, here's the story (from http://www.penpages.psu.edu/penpages_reference/10198/101982139.html):

quote:Bumble bees can't fly

Of course, bumble bees can fly.  But if you are like most people,
you have heard (and maybe believed) the legend about an engineer
that proved it was aerodynamically impossible for a bumble bee to
fly.  Bah, humbug!

There are several versions regarding the origin of this myth.  The
generally accepted version has it that the calculations were
speculations overheard by a member of the media during a
reception.  Once the story was printed, it slipped into our
collective memory banks.  Unfortunately, less attention has been
given to the retraction that was issued almost immediately.  The
retraction didn't make it into the papers, the damage was done and
an urban legend was born.

[Donnah]

Somebody forgot to tell the reporter to mind his/her own bee's wax instead of stiring up a hornet's nest.[]

[neilep (OP)]

It's virtually that time of year again when it's time to stroke a Bee....go for it...stroke a Bee and make it a happy Bee....I fascinated my children friends today by stroking a Bee.....Bee strokers unite !!![]

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[neilep (OP)]

It's that Bee stroking time of year again !!...stroke a bee and enjoy !

Men are the same as women, just inside out !

[ariel]

I nearly fell on the floor laughing when I started reading this topic...
sheesh
what is with Neil and stroking bees!
hahahah
this reminded me of when Neil had instructed to put a bee in your freezer, then tie a string on it's leg so that you can have a pet bee...

that not all
he also mentioned that the bee will try so hard to get away that it will tear it's own leg off.

To know all of this, I would have to guess that Neil has had some experience.

well, for the record I am not at all trying to condescend bee strokers. I for one would love to joing the Bee strokers club.  

I was just thinking of the many t-shirts and bumper stickers and buttons  you could make out of your replies Neil..
"its that bee stroking time of year again"
or
"stroke a bee and enjoy"
or
"stroke a bee and make it a happy bee"
or
"bee strokers unite"

hahah i have still not stopped laughing

ariel

[neilep (OP)]

Thanks Ariel,

Beelieve in Bees !

Men are the same as women, just inside out !

[Karen W.]

Hey Neil, I could not resist!
  When I was about 15, My sister and I would harvest about 1/4 of an acre of berries, Rasberries, logan berries, boysen berries, black berries. We would pick every other day. We made about 200.00 to 300.00 dollars every other day. My mom had customers who would come from other states and park at our house for a few days and can berries, then they would leave. You could not transport them fresh berries across the state lines, so they canned them first then went home. It was good summer money for us kids and it was fun.
 Anyhoo, It was early one morning about 5:15 AM. Barely light enough to see, and foggy as pea soup! We slammed the alarm off on the old clock and hit the patch ready to start the day. We picked for about 6 hours. At around 11:15AM or so we stopped for lunch and a break. It was nice and hot by this time and the fog had long since burned off as it does here. My sister and I went to the house and made ourselves a couple peanut butter and jam sandwiches and took a soda out to the patch with us where we sat down on a old stump we frequented every other day as we took a break. My little sister was eating her sandwich and was talking to me while all the while she was poking this stick into the old rotten stump. I finished my sandwitch and stood up and was brushing off my shirt that I had made a  mess of with the bread crumbs. I looked up to see her kicking at this stump on the really soft rotten side. All of a sudden her foot went through the exterior portion of the old stump and her foot got stuck. I kicked at the stump to break it some more so she could get her foot out. She finally gave a big pull and out popped her foot and a bunch of rotten wood, followed by a million bumble bees. We ran! The bees were all over her, they went up her shirt down her pants, and even around her ankles where her tennis shoes were. They were stinging her everywhere! I tried to get them off her, by waving a towel we had at them, but they were not budging, She was screaming and stripping her clothes off trying to get away from them. My mother was gone making deliveries, and my Neighbor was home who rented a spot on our property. She was this tall round little old lady from Arkansaw who chewed tobacco like crazy! She came running out to see what the fuss was about and I ran to get her to call for help, my sister was getting sick already from the stings, there were hundreds of them. She was swollen up so bad I could barely see her eyes. This old lady grabbed two big 2Lb coffeee cans full of snuff spit and ran like I never could have imagined. She started slapping this stuff onto my sisters face and throat  while I got the hose to spray the bees. After the bees left she made me help her to continue to spread this tobacco spit onto every inch of my sisters body. She carried my sister up to the car and rushed her to the hospital. I was so darned scared and somehow I knew this old women was a definite keeper if you know what I mean. The doctors said, she saved my sisters life that day and that the tobacco acted like a drawing sauve and was pulling the venom from the wounds. If she had not acted so quickly I would have lost my sister. I will never forget that. I have a healthy respect for bees and give them their space, although I don't swat at them or antagonize them. I am not scared of them either. I think we broke into their nest and disturbed them, not to mention she had that sweet jam sandwhich in her hand also. But you talk about old world remedies, I know that one works, nasty but effective none the less. Still doesn't make me want to take up chewing though! YUCK!
  I did not know you could stroke bees, and I know those beggars can fly. We must be on a role with the flying things ehhh Neil?  I think thats why you can't sleep. You have a subconscience need to learn to fly. Maybe you should take up flying and have a few lessons. What you think? I bet you would be a great pilot! You don't get air sick do you?
   Anyway happy bee stroking, take a picture and post it, sounds amazing to me! Cool beans Neil!.....Karen

[Karen W.]

Sorry I was so long winded guys!

[sharkeyandgeorge]

anyway.....

using the most basic of models torepresent the bee it is not possible for the bee to fly but once you refine the model and take into acounnt their remarkable ability to use their turbulance to help them fly (around 50% more efficent than effort alone) it is possible to demonstrate that not only do bees obey the laws of aerodynamics but that they exploit them ingeniously.

two guys playing golf one turns to the other and says "my wife was stung by a bee here last week"
The other says "where?"
"between the first and second holes"
"ah her stance is to wide"

J.B.S Haldane on the perforated eardrums which were a consequence of his pressure experiments "the drum generally heals up; and if a hole remains in it, although one is somewhat deaf, one can blow tobacco smoke out of  the ear in question, which is a social accomplishment".

[Laith]

Neil this is a 10 min. clip for you "How do bees fly"
it explains it all..
cheers


http://www.pbs.org/perl/media.cgir?t=w&f=virage/scientific/pbssaf904_220k.asf&s=1385000&e=1980366


Laith

[neilep (OP)]

Karen...I am just so glad your sister was fine. What an amazing recollection...you weren't long winded at all..you have a great gift for recounting events....Wow!!...that was a day and a half wasn't it ?

It is easy to stroke a Bee...they really do not want to sting you...and they are so busy collecting pollen that they don't even notice it...juts follow my instructions in the first post of this thread and you'll be fine if you ever want to try it. I will definitely try to get a piccy though.

Thanks Sharkeyandgeorge for your insight and joke lol!!

Cheers laith...that's a great little documentary...Alan Alda is great and that clip is brilliant....thanks

Men are the same as women, just inside out !