Proboscis

The Nectar Straw

A honey bee's proboscis is not a simple tongue. It is an intricate assembly of multiple mouthparts, primarily the paired maxillae and the elongated labium (lower lip), that interlock to form a flexible, retractable tube. When feeding, the bee extends this tube into a flower's nectary, a pool of sugar syrup, or a drop of water, and draws liquid upward through capillary action and muscular pumping.

Length and Foraging

Proboscis length varies between honey bee subspecies and directly influences which flowers a colony can effectively forage. Italian bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) have slightly longer proboscises than some other subspecies, allowing them to reach nectar in moderately deep flowers like red clover that shorter-tongued races cannot access efficiently. Flowers with very deep corollas (like some orchids and trumpet-shaped blossoms) are beyond even the longest honey bee proboscis and must rely on long-tongued specialists like bumblebees or butterflies for pollination.

Beyond Nectar

The proboscis is used for more than nectar collection. Bees use it to drink water, to feed each other through trophallaxis (mouth-to-mouth food sharing), to apply varnish-like coatings of propolis to surfaces inside the hive, and to lick salt and minerals from moist soil in a behavior called "mud puddling." The proboscis is one of the bee's most versatile tools, serving multiple functions throughout her daily activities.