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.
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