Honey BeeHoney Bee Biology

101

Jeff LittlefieldDept. LRES

Montana State U - BozemanMontana State U. - BozemanWinston after Wilson

Honey BeeHoney Bee Biology

101

Jeff LittlefieldDept. LRES

Montana State U - BozemanMontana State U. - BozemanWinston after Wilson

Importance of Honey BeesImportance of Honey Bees

• Honey• Honey • Wax & other products• Pollination• Fun

Importance of Honey BeesImportance of Honey Bees• HoneyHoney

• Wax & other products• Pollination• Fun

Importance of Honey BeesImportance of Honey Bees• HoneyHoney • Wax & other products

Pollination• Pollination• Fun

www.wingettphotography.com

Importance of Honey BeesImportance of Honey Bees• HoneyHoney • Wax & other products• PollinationPollination

• Fun

Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Laboratory

Bees Are Social (Eusocial)(Superorganism)

• Reproductive division f kof work

• Have sterile castes O• Overlapping generationsC t i f• Cooperate in care of young

P. Denke

Bee Historyy• Evolved from wasps more

than 100 million years agoy g• A recently found fossilized

bee dates back 100 million earsyears

• First honey bee appeared 20-27 million years agoy g

• “Bee keeping” by humans occurred 4,500 years ago

www.bursztyn.px.pl/.../boreallodape.html

• First time introduced into North America early16th

centurycentury

Honey Bee Races• Scientific name

Apis melliferap

• Natural range Europe EurasiaEurope, Eurasia, Middle East & AfricaAfrica

• Approximately 24 pp yraces

• Often mixed or• Often mixed or artificially breed Winston

Honey Bee RacesRace Italian Carniolan Caucasian German

BlackAfricanized

Species Apis melliferaligustica

Apis melliferacarnica

Apis melliferacaucasica

Apis melliferamellifera

Apis melliferascutellata

Origin Italy Alps, northern Yugoslavia

Caucasus Mts -Black &

Northern Europe

Eastern Africag Yugoslavia Black & Caspian Seas

Europe

Color Golden yellow Gray/brown Lead-gray Brown/black Golden yellow

Over wintering

Well (generally)Build quickly in spring

WellBuild quickly in spring

PoorlyBuild slowly in spring

WellBuild slowly in spring

Poorly

gOther -Most popular

honey bee- Tend to rob

other hives

- Swarms frequently

- Construct comb slowly

- Gum up their hives with propolis (tree resins and

Nervous & aggressive

- Smaller nests and swarm more frequently

- Usually gentley

- Gentle beeswax)- Gentle to

aggressive

- Aggressive

External MorphologyExternal Morphology

Winston

External MorphologyExternal Morphology

Z. Huang

Winston

External MorphologyExternal Morphology

Z. Huang

Winston

Mackean

External MorphologyExternal Morphology

Z. Huang

Winston

External MorphologyExternal Morphology

WinstonZ. Huang

External MorphologyExternal Morphology

Winston

Z. Huang

Internal MorphologyInternal Morphology

Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia

Internal MorphologyInternal Morphology

Michener

Basic BiologyLife Cycle

S Camazine

www.texasdrone.com

S. Camazine

Z. Huang

Basic BiologyDevelopment

Winston

AdultsAdults

♀ ♂

Winston

QueenQueen• One queen (normally)• Only actively

reproducing femaleCan produce 1 500• Can produce 1,500 eggs per day at the height of the brood

www.csdeschenes.qc.c

height of the brood season

• Can live for 2-5 yrs.y• Controls the hive

through pheromones

WorkersWorkers• Female• Usually do not• Usually do not

reproduce• Responsible for• Responsible for

most of the work • Colony will have• Colony will have

20,000 - 70,000+• Live for 4 6 weeks• Live for 4-6 weeks

in summer, 4-5 months in wintermonths in winter

DronesDrones• Males

M. Frazier

Males• Sexually mature at 2

weeks• Mate with female

virgin queens while in g qflight

• Upon mating they die• Removed from the

hive in late fall

www.uni.uiuc.edu

Inside the HiveInside the Hive

Z. Huang

Holldobler

M. Frazier

Division of LaborDivision of Labor

• Among females (reproduction)• Among workers (tasks)• Not fixed – somewhat plasticNot fixed somewhat plastic • Depends upon

Age of the bee– Age of the bee– Needs of the colony

Division of LaborWorkers

Young bees:1 to 10 days1 to 10 days

• Cell cleaningT d b d• Tend brood

• Cap brood• Attend queen

Z. Huang

Division of LaborWorkers

Middle aged beesMiddle-aged bees:10 to 20 days old

R i t &• Receive nectar & pollenC b b ildi• Comb building

• Hive cleaningD b i l• Debris removal

• Undertakers• Climate control

M. Frazier

• Climate control

Division of LaborWorkers

Old bees:Old bees:20 days until death (30-

45 days)y )• Foraging

– Nectar– Pollen– Water– Resin

• Hive defense

Division of LaborForaging - Efforts

To make 1 lb honey• Bees visit 2,000,000

flowers• Gather 10 lbs nectar • Fly 55,000 miles

1 cell of Honey = life work of

Z. Huang

1 cell of Honey = life work of 60 bees

To make 1 lb waxTo make 1 lb wax• Need to consume 10 lbs

honey

ForagingForagingDances – Conveys ydirection & distance to nectar and pollen psources

Wikipedia

Round Dance Waggle DanceCrane after Von Ftrisch

Division of LaborReproduction

• The Queen is the primary Q p yreproductive unit of the hiveF tili d• Fertilized eggs may become either workers or queens

• To become a queen, a larva must:

Be fed royal jelly– Be fed royal jelly – Be fed more food– Have a larger cell Z. Huang

Division of LaborReproduction

New Queens arise due to:New Queens arise due to:

Swarming:Th i iti tThe queen initiates a new queen in the hive. She then leaves with a portion of the workers & starts aof the workers & starts a new hive.

Supersedure:Supersedure: Workers kill off the old queen & new queens are formed Generally to saveformed. Generally to save the existing colony.

D. Sammataro

Division of LaborR d tiReproduction

New virgin queenNew virgin queen• Seeks out cells and kills

developing queensp g q• Fight to the death with other

emerging queens• She sexually matures within

a few days & makes her mating flight g g

• Returns to the hive & begins to lay eggs after a f d

M. Frazier

few days

If she does not return to the hive -If she does not return to the hive

Slide after M. Frazier

A colony of drones

Slide after M. Frazier

M. Frazier

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Winston Mark L 1987 The biology of theWinston, Mark L. 1987. The biology of the honey bee. Harvard University Press. 281 p.

Crane, Eva. 1990. Bees and beekeeping : science practice and world resourcesscience, practice, and world resources. Comstock Pub. Associates. 614 p.

Frazier, M. Penn State University Understanding Honey Bee Biology The KeyUnderstanding Honey Bee Biology- The Key to Successful Beekeepinghttp://www.ento.psu.edu/teaching/ main/bees/honey_bee_biology010304.pdfHuang.g

Photos from Huang, Z. Michigan State U. Bee Photos. http://photo.bees.net/gallery/, and various other photographersvarious other photographers.