High Mileage
Elderly honeybee on goldernrod

    Still working hard, despite her frayed wings, she's near the end. Honeybee wings have about 500 miles of flight capacity. When they are worn out, the bee can fly out to the flowers, but cannot return loaded. So she dies alone, away from the hive...sad for her, but best for the hive, not to have to deal with her corpse.

Image Copyright 2001, David L. Green   Unauthorized use prohibited
September 26, 2001   Hemingway, South Carolina  USA

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