So, hot off the buzzy press!! Following my induction into the wonderful world of bees on Saturday, I followed up with our resident bee expert, Xander, with a few questions of burning importance. Do bees sleep and do they have knees? Here is his adorable reply:
“In the meantime, to answer your question, yes! I double-checked one of my favorite bee FAQ reference books (“Why do Bees Buzz?”) and confirmed that bees do sleep! It’s not exactly like our sleep, but it’s similar: their muscles relax, they stop moving, their antennae become immobile, they become less reactive, and their body temperature drops. Unlike mammals, they sleep deepest at the end of their sleep cycle, whereas humans, for example, do not. The youngest bees sleep less often and less regularly, probably because younger bees tend to focus on 24-hour tasks like brood care, whereas older bees that tend to be foragers are more likely to sleep during the evening when there is less nectar available.
And yes, bees do have knees, depending on how you define a knee (they have a tibial/femurial joint, but no kneecap) — more than we do, actually! The best information I’ve read on where the phrase comes from is online here…”
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-bees-knees.html
There are many things i love about this answer. One, that cutie-pie Xander has so many bee FAQ reference books, he’s able to have a favorite amongst them. Secondly, the sheer enthusiasm and bee love that comes shining through in the message. And lastly, the fact that bees do actually sleep makes them even more adorably cute. Do they get bee sleepy dust in their eyes? Do bees get bed hair and wake up even fluffier and fuzzier in the morning? The list of questions on all things buzzy just keeps getting longer and longer. Stay tuned….
