DBKA - Tiverton Branch Introduction to Beekeeping Session Two – The Colony Tutor - Derek Evans www.tivertonbeekeepers.org.uk

Pub quiz – BEEKEEPING section! How fast do bees fly? (m.p.h. please!) What is their top speed? What is usually the maximum distance bees fly from their hive? (miles please!) How many bees does it take to make a teaspoon of honey? How many times around the world would a bee have to travel to make 1 lb of honey? www.tivertonbeekeepers.org.uk

THIS SESSION: We will look at 1. Who makes up ‘The Colony’? 2. What are the Individual Life Cycles of The Colony? 3. What are the jobs of the bees?

1. Who makes up ‘The Colony’? 2. How many?

1. Who makes up the colony?

RECAP 1. Head 2. Thorax 3. Abdomen 1. Hypopharyngeal gland – initially to produce royal jelly 2. Wax gland 3. Sting gland 4. Hypopharyngeal gland – evolves further to produce enzymes to process nectar into honey 5. Nasanov gland – attraction scent during swarming

Head of a bee 1. Eyes 3 Ocelli eyes react to light & movement 2 Compound eyes Queen 3,000 – 4,000 facets Worker 4,000 – 6,900 facets Drone 7,000 – 8,600 facets 2. Antenna - taste,touch,smell 3. Mandible - jaws 4. Proboscis - tongue

How many in The Colony? Queen – 1 1 Worker – 60,000 10,000 Summer Winter Queen – 1 1 Worker – 60,000 10,000 Drone – 200 0 Summer 5,000 – 7,000 eggs 7,000 – 11,000 larvae being fed 16,000 – 24,000 larvae pupating into adults in sealed cells www.tivertonbeekeepers.org.uk

Number of bees in The Colony

Queen Queen hatches from a fertilised egg On her mating flight she mates with up to 20 Drones (Drones then die) Her temperament affects the whole colony Pheromone(or queen substance) informs colony all is well 30 minutes for a colony to realise that she is missing

She lays almost 2,000 eggs a day in summer, nearly zero in winter Queen attendants(workers) – feed, encourage her to lay, grooming, remove her excrement Can only sting another queen She can live 2 to 5 years

Drone - (male) Drone hatches from an unfertilised egg Sole job is to mate with a virgin Queen Drone Congregation Area Drones do not have a sting Fed by worker bees Not loyal to one colony In early Autumn, all the Drones are evicted and die!

Worker – (all female) Worker hatches from a fertilised egg 6 weeks in the summer 6 months in winter Sting - defence mechanism to protect the colony Work until they die – more to follow after the coffee break!

2. Individual Life Cycles Developmental stages

Individual life cycles Queen Worker Drone ________Days_________ Egg stage 3 3 3 Larva stage 5.5 6 6.5 Pupa stage 7.5 12 14.5 _________________________________________ Adult stage 16 days 21 days 24 days

Who gets the jelly ? Days 3- 6 all larvae are fed same Royal Jelly Day 7 only Queen larvae continue to be fed Royal Jelly until capped on day 8.5 Day 7 Worker and Drone larvae fed ‘brood food’ until capped on day 9 & 9.5 Larvae are fed about 1,300 times/day!

What is Royal Jelly and Brood Food? Secreted from the hypopharyngeal gland of the worker Mixture of pollen(protein), nectar (24% carb), enzymes, amino acids Brood Food/Bee Bread: Gathered & stored in cells Mixture of pollen(protein), nectar (12% carb), yeasts

Larvae in Royal Jelly

Brood Food/Bee Bread

Stages 1 and 2 - Eggs & Larvae

Stage 2 and 3 – Larvae & Pupae

Stages 1, 2 & 3 Egg Larvae Pupae

Brood Frame

Queen emerging from the Queen cell

Worker cells - Drone cells - Honey

Worker bees Hatching

Pub quiz - answers Bees usually fly at Top speed is They rarely fly It takes the life of 5. To produce 1 lb about 12 mph nearly 22 mph more than 3 miles from the hive 12 bees to make a teaspoon of honey twice around the world

then we’ll consider the bees’ lifestyle and how it develops Let’s take a break then we’ll consider the bees’ lifestyle and how it develops

3. What are the jobs of a worker bee? Life of a worker bee can be divided into: Hive/House Bee – first 3 weeks Field Bee – second 3 weeks

HIVE BEES – Welfare Department Hatching Nurse bees Cleaning the cells Undertaker bees Queen & her attendants HIVE BEES – Welfare Department

HIVE BEES - Processing Department Pollen packing Nectar packing HIVE BEES - Processing Department

HIVE BEES - Processing Department Processing nectar Propolising HIVE BEES - Processing Department

HIVE BEES - Security & Construction Department Guard bees Wax production HIVE BEES - Security & Construction Department

HIVE BEES – Security & Construction Department Cell building Cell capping HIVE BEES – Security & Construction Department

HIVE BEES - Security & Construction Department Ventilation Engineers HIVE BEES - Security & Construction Department

Temperature and bees Min inside temp exist Min outside temp to fly Min temp to open hive Temp inside brood nest Combs collapse 8° C 10° C 15° C 35° C 47° C

FIELD BEES - Foraging foraging pollen Foraging Nectar Nectar Pollen

FIELD BEES - Foraging Propolis Water

Why do worker bees collect water? Dilute stored nectar for feeding Maintain humidity & temperature in the hive

What is propolis? Resinous sticky gums and balsams from various plants and trees. Common sources are :- Alder, Birch, Cherry, Peach, Plum, Conifers, Hazel, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Poplar & Willow Resins mixed with salivary enzymes, wax, other foreign materials such as wax moth scales, hive litter and organic debris. Approx. recipe is 50% resins & balsams, 30% wax, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen & 5% organic debris

Recap

Swarming

Daily Chores Hive Bees WELFARE DEPT. Hatching Nurse Bees Cleaning Bees Undertaker Bees Queen attendants PROCESSING DEPT. Pollen packing Nectar packing Processing nectar Propolising

SECURITY & CONSTRUCTION DEPT. Guard Bees Wax production Cell building Cell Capping Ventilation Engineers

Field Bees FORAGING DEPT. Pollen Nectar Propolis Water

Tonight we have looked at - The make up of ‘The Colony’ - WHO’s WHO The Individual Life Cycles - EGG TO HATCH The jobs bees do - HATCH TO DISPATCH

The hive and its components next session The hive and its components www.tivertonbeekeepers.org.uk