A Method for Collecting the Honey-Sac Contents from Honeybees

Abstract
Summary A simple method is described for collecting the honey-sac contents from honeybees. Captured foraging bees are anaesthetized with C02; the abdomen is squeezed in a special apparatus, which is described, to express the contents of the honey sac through the mouthparts. The expressed liquid is collected in a glass capillary tube and sealed and frozen for analysis later. Nectar loads can be collected very quickly, enabling large-scale studies to be made. The ingestion of fluid into the ventriculus is discussed.