Tools of beekeeping. Life of the honeybee colony

Question 1

apiary definition

Answer 1

location where hives are kept

Question 2

how many tubes make up honey bee hives

Answer 2

6 sided tubes
optimal for honey production
require less wax
can hold more honey

Question 3

optimal temperature to control texture of the wax

Answer 3

30-35oC

Question 4

how do bees construct their hives

Answer 4

by chewing wax until it becomes soft
bonding large quantities of wax into cells of a honeycomb

Question 5

3 types of cells

Answer 5

drone
workers
queen

Question 6

shape of a drone cell

Answer 6

large hexagonal with a doomed cap

Question 7

shape of a worker cell

Answer 7

small hexagon with a flat cap

Question 8

shape of a queen cell

Answer 8

large
thimble shape
hang vertically

Question 9

how does honey get into cells

Answer 9

bees vomit

Question 10

who produces honey

Answer 10

workers due to special enzymes in mandibular gland

Question 11

define strong colony

Answer 11

covers 7-8 combs
40-60 thousand workers

Question 12

define week colony

Answer 12

covers less than 5 combs
less than 30 thousand workers

Question 13

estimating a bee population with a 10x10cm comb

Answer 13

800-850 brood cells
300-350g honey

Question 14

optimal temp of the brood

Answer 14

32-36 degrees

Question 15

how is optimal temp of the brood kept

Answer 15

fanning wings to cool down
metabolizing honey to heat it

Question 16

temperature of a winter cluster at the start of winter

Answer 16

27 degrees

Question 17

tempreture of a winter cluster when the queen resumes laying

Answer 17

34 degrees

Question 18

outside edges of the winter cluster temperature

Answer 18

8-9 degrees

Question 19

how much honey to they consume during the winter

Answer 19

15-50 kg

Question 20

what is swarming

Answer 20

colony’s way of multiplying
they decide to split and create another colony
When a hive is filled with honey and has no room for new eggs, worker bees search for a suitable place to set up a new colony
- The queen takes about half the worker bees

Question 21

signs bees are about to swarm

Answer 21

start producing queen cells

no more room in the brood box

clusters of bees appear near the entrance of the hive

Question 22

honey bee dance

Answer 22

discovering a new food source - a way to signal the other bees

Question 23

types of honey bee dance

Answer 23

round dance
waggle dance - 8 pattern

Question 24

spring activity in apirary

Answer 24

opening of hives and inspection, stimulating feed

Question 25

summer activity in apirary

Answer 25

moving to rasp and sunflower
swarming
raising new queens

Question 26

autumn activity in apirary

Answer 26

preparation for winter – sugar syrup feeding
varroa control
closing hives
controlling enemies