this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago

There's a whole raft of things that are technically edible, that I want nowhere near my mouth. Add this to the list.

[–] garbage_world@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

I hate you for posting this. Absolutely disgusting

[–] TyrionBean@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 hours ago

So, basically: Rotting flesh-eating zombie bees produce honey which few outside of a certain cultural milieu will ever find appetizing or acceptable? 😃

[–] OldQWERTYbastard@lemmy.world 23 points 9 hours ago
[–] raven@lemmy.org 22 points 10 hours ago

I would not want the honey from Resident Evil anywhere near my breakfast.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 24 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

This one probably needs a NSFW filter, for "I was eating" reasons 😅

[–] Gonzako@lemmy.world 8 points 10 hours ago
[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 53 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)
[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 31 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

As vulture bee honey is derived from animal flesh, it is not suitable for vegetarians.

Phew that's good to know! Nearly gourged myself on some corpse honey

[–] Sphks@jlai.lu 9 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Honey produced by vulture bees is a pleasant tasting and sweet smelling honey-like liquid.

It's strange that it doesn't taste like rotten flesh.

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I read it tastes a bit more like cheese/butter.

[–] HeroicBillyBishop@lemmy.ca 6 points 8 hours ago

Thank you, this comment made me feel unwell

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago
[–] quantumcrop@lemmy.today 84 points 21 hours ago

Using their extra-toothed mandible, they will slice and chew the flesh off, coating the meat in their acid-rich saliva before consumption. The bee will transport the chewed carrion back to the colony where it’s regurgitated into wax pots, different from the honey pots.

Here, the meat will be mixed with honey and left to mature over a period of 14 days. During this curing time, it will become a paste-like substance that is rich in free amino acids and sugars. This paste is fed to their young, who need it to grow.

Source

So basically a potted meat but with sugar instead of fat. Apparently they also keep normal honey that's separate from the meat honey. Bees are so fucking cool.

[–] manmachine@lemmy.world 26 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I think I saw that in Dead Space

[–] bluesheep@sh.itjust.works 8 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Was about to say, this is some resident evil type shit

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 7 points 17 hours ago

was just about to say this looks like doom demon hives

[–] python@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

They need to make a Dominion 2 just for this kinda shit

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 12 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

They are also stingless, how interesting.

[–] Gumus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 hours ago

Corpses don't usually fight back...

[–] 5715@feddit.org 75 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Nature does depravity.
Humans: "Is it edible?"

[–] Nikls94@lemmy.world 11 points 11 hours ago

People learning about mushrooms: This one tastes like beef, this one killed bob instantly, and that one made me see god for 2 weeks

[–] Geobloke@aussie.zone 26 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

Have you ever thought about blue cheese?

"Let's try drinking the milk from an animal"

"Oh, it's kinda gross and solid ish now. Still tastes good though"

"Oh wait, it's gone really mouldy. Let's slap it on some chicken wings"

[–] 5715@feddit.org 9 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Animal cheese connoisseurs be like: Our food culture grew by one diarrhoea at a time.

[–] rollerbang@lemmy.world 29 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

While I would agree on the surface, it's not really depravity. We've got to do away with rotting meat somehow. Hence why vultures are so important.

Still upvoted though.

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[–] e_chao@lemmy.world 35 points 21 hours ago
[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 49 points 22 hours ago

That hive looks like I'm not high enough level to fight whatever is in there.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 9 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
[–] InTheNameOfScheddi@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Regurgitated rotten flesh bee vomit* :)

[–] Tja@programming.dev 1 points 8 hours ago

Correct. Bee vomit doesn't rot.

[–] coalie@piefed.zip 164 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (9 children)

"meat honey"The vulture bee is sometimes said to produce a so-called "meat honey", but this is a misnomer resulting from scientific uncertainty, due to historic confusion of multiple species, each with a slightly different method of processing.

In one detailed study of Trigona hypogea in Brazil, the vulture bees mixed sugary plant products with a proteinaceous paste from regurgitated meat, and let it mature to form a sweet substance that was used as food; however, the two resources were initially kept in separate "pots" in the colony, neither being true honey (i.e., not derived from nectar), but they were then mixed together.

In a different study of Trigona necrophaga in Panama, the bees gathered nectar and produced honey, and they also produced a glandular secretion, derived from carrion, partially metabolized, used as a protein source, and kept completely separate from the honey. In neither case were the bees mixing meat-based substances with floral-derived substances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulture_bee

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 104 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Vulture bees usually enter the carcass through the eyes. They will then root around inside gathering the meat suitable for their needs.

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 51 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There needs to be metal band called Vulture Bees, this is too metal.

[–] obre@slrpnk.net 28 points 1 day ago
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[–] Akasazh@lemmy.world 41 points 1 day ago (2 children)

In one detailed study of Trigona hypogea in Brazil, the vulture bees mixed sugary plant products with a proteinaceous paste from regurgitated meat, and let it mature to form a sweet substance that was used as food; however, the two resources were initially kept in separate "pots" in the colony, neither being true honey (i.e., not derived from nectar), but they were then mixed together.

So it's not incorporated in the honey. They have a separate protein stache.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 51 points 1 day ago (2 children)

A protein stache would be part of a meat beard.

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[–] negativenull@piefed.world 64 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] sober_monk@lemmy.world 26 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Well, I know what my players are facing next time they venture into the Underdark...

[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 17 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

Are they facing the person who decided to test the edibility of the corpse nest?

[–] sober_monk@lemmy.world 18 points 22 hours ago

Now that you mention it, hell yes they are!

[–] IntrovertTurtle@lemmy.zip 57 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 11 points 20 hours ago

That means someone tried it out

[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 36 points 1 day ago

From the entomologic side: this is so interesting, thanks for sharing.

From the Mothership RPG DM side: this is so useful, thanks for sharing.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 9 points 20 hours ago

This is why their hive looks.

[–] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 13 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
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