1

2

3

4 To Bee or Not to Bee CLGC January 10, 2012

5 How fast does a bee fly? 3 mph 3 mph 15 mph 15 mph 40 mph 40 mph 60 mph 60 mph

6 How many pounds of honey does the average American eat each year? Nearly 100 Nearly 100

7 How many beekeepers in the state of Illinois? This number is down from 2988 fifteen years ago. The average beekeeper maintains 17 hives. Seventy-one percent of beekeepers hold 5 or less colonies.

8

9 In the world there are many bees, but likely the most known is the honey bee. The honey bee produces many products useful to man, but is best known for its honey – the golden sweetness collected from all corners of the floral world.

10 Research has shown that unlike most sweeteners Honey Honey has vitamins, minerals and amino acids as well as antioxidants.

11 Until a century ago when white cane sugar became cheap and available Maple syrup and honey were man’s only sweetener.

12 Honey is made from nectar. Small amounts of pollen Small amounts of pollen A variety of sugars A variety of sugars Fructose Fructose Glucose Glucose About 18% water About 18% water The taste of the honey is determined by the nectar source. The taste of the honey is determined by the nectar source.

13 The honey bee predates man on the planet Earth Man has been here for about 200 thousand years… Bees for about 200 million.

14 It is interesting that bees historically appeared on the earth at the same time as flowering plants. Bees and sexually reproducing plants became partners.

15 The earliest record of man’s interest in honey comes from cave paintings like this one in Spain circa 4000 BC.

16 Today, man has become the keeper of the ancient bees while growing strangely dependent on them.

17 Even though honey bees have been on the earth for millennia They did not arrive in North America until the colonists brought them in 1621.

18 Until 150 years ago bees in the US were kept mainly in skeps and bee gums

19 The modern American hive was designed by L. L. Langstroth in 1851.

20 The Lanstroth hive is organized using frames to hold the “plan” for building honey comb.

21 The living unit is not the bee but rather the colony. So to reproduce… bees make new colonies by “swarming.”

22 The Honey Bee Swarm A beekeeper’s joy and the bane of a beekeeper’s existence

23 A Swarm Contain as many 30,000 honey bees Emanates from a hive with the old queen Leaving behind an equal number of bees and the future monarch in queen cells Usually lights near the hive of origination Moves on its own schedule to a new location

24 Swarms tend to be very docile

25 A beekeeper would rather not see a swarm coming from his apiary

26

27

28

29

30

31

32 The honey bee is of great economic value. Largely for its role as a pollinator Largely for its role as a pollinator We are talking billions of dollars We are talking billions of dollars Secondarily for products of the hive Secondarily for products of the hive Honey Honey Pollen Pollen Bees wax Bees wax Propolis Propolis Royal jelly Royal jelly Bee venom Bee venom

33 Now after many millions of years surviving on the planet earth We may be about to report on the Death of the American Honey Bee

34 Pests, disease, and insecticides The life of the honeybee is tenuous

35 In the bee world this is Public Enemy #1…. The Varroa Mite

36 Today surviving honey bee colonies are largely kept by beekeepers whose efforts limit the effects of the mites.

37 In the last six years Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has begun killing managed colonies Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has begun killing managed colonies After extensive study, the cause of CCD is still largely unknown After extensive study, the cause of CCD is still largely unknown The leading candidates The leading candidates New powerful insecticides New powerful insecticides Viral diseases Viral diseases Inbreeding Inbreeding Two difficult to manage pests Two difficult to manage pests Varroa distructor Varroa distructor Apis cerena Apis cerena

38 The lose of the American honey bee would not only cost the farmers billions of dollars. Americans would need to change their eating habits.

39 America’s food supply is tied to the welfare of honey bees - One third of our food is directly or indirectly enabled by insect pollination. One third of our food is directly or indirectly enabled by insect pollination. 80% of insect pollination is done by honey bees 80% of insect pollination is done by honey bees

40 Honey bees are of particular importance to Almonds Almonds Melons Melons Apples Apples Cucumbers Cucumbers Strawberries Strawberries Alphalfa Blueberries Cranberries Kiwi Pumpkin

41 Each year 2.5 million colonies of bees are rented to pollinate California crops. 2.5 million colonies of bees are rented to pollinate California crops. Farmers pay up to $200 per colony for two weeks of pollination service. Farmers pay up to $200 per colony for two weeks of pollination service.

42 Bees and Pollination

43 Urban beekeeping arrives in New York

44 A growing group enter beekeeping – generally as a hobby – each year.

45 Is it time to bee part of the solution?

46 Krengel’s top ten list for Helping the Honeybees  10.Be choosy about honey – choose local  9. Grow bee-friendly plants  8. Join a local beekeepers group  7. Let it grow  Bees love clover and dandelions  Fence rows provide bee forage  6. Support bee research

47 Krengel’s top ten list for Helping the Honeybees  5. Make your city a honeybee city  Welcome beekeeping  Plant bee-friendly plants  4. Learn more about our pollinator friends  3. Protect swarms – it is the natural thing to do!  2. Become “spray conscious”  Limit the use of insecticides  1. Become a beekeeper!

48 I think they are heading for the gaggle!

49 So… how does bee flight compare to human attempts to fly?

50 In 1934, in an attempt to prove that we really did not understand aerodynamics, two Frenchmen (Magnan and Sainte-Lague) used simple existing mathematical analysis to conclude that a honey bee could not fly.

51 Yes, bee can fly! Honey bees fly by flapping their wings at 230 beats per second. Honey bees fly by flapping their wings at 230 beats per second. The rate does not change as the load increases. The rate does not change as the load increases. As load increases the amplitude of the beat increases As load increases the amplitude of the beat increases To fly bees must first warm up their flight muscles – to about 100° F. To fly bees must first warm up their flight muscles – to about 100° F.

52 A normal landing Bees tend to land with a 60° angle of attack. Rear legs land first. Bees tend to land with a 60° angle of attack. Rear legs land first. To land inverted (on a ceiling) the antennae make contact first. To land inverted (on a ceiling) the antennae make contact first. Hovering flight requires less energy than forward flight. Hovering flight requires less energy than forward flight.

53 Aircraft Wing loading (kg/sq m) (kg/sq m) ASK RV 4 67 Me F B MD Honey bee Bat.1 Humming Bird.2 Eagle.7 Canada Goose 2

54 To have the same wing loading as a honeybee a man would need a wing with 3700 square feet. A chord of 37 feet and a span of 100feet!!!

55 Do bees thermal? Likely yes. Not the workers, but the drones as they establish a congregation area.

56 Worker Drone Queen

57 Not all stinging insects are bees!

58 Please be kind to your buzzing friends!

59 Let’s buzz-off now! The Bee House