Fat Body
Lexikon
The fat body is the bee's central storage and metabolic organ and is located mainly in the abdomen.
The fat body is the bee's central storage and metabolic organ and is located mainly in the abdomen. In its function it corresponds roughly to the liver and adipose tissue of vertebrates: it stores fats, proteins and carbohydrates, converts substances, and among other things forms vitellogenin.
The fat body is directly connected with the wax glands, to which it supplies the building blocks for wax production. A poorly fed colony therefore also builds poorly.
The fat body is of particular importance for overwintering. Winter bees are characterized by a well-developed fat body, from which they draw over months. More recent studies on the varroa mite show that the mite feeds primarily on the pupa's fat body rather than, as long assumed, on the hemolymph. This means the infestation hits exactly the organ the bee needs for a long winter life.