Annual Honey Bee Cycle Flashcards
Very briefly describe the annual cycle of a honey bee colony
- Spring growth
- Swarming
- Food storage
- Wintering
What can be stored in the wax cells of the comb in hives?
- pollen
- honey
- larvae
True or false: the wax capping of cells for brood is the same as the wax capping of cells for pollen and honey.
False
What are the different types of cells that honey bees make?
- worker cells
- drone cells
- queen cells
What temperature should the brood chamber be?
33-35 degrees C
Where do honey bees rear brood within a comb compared to food reserves?
- brood is reared in the centre of combs
- food reserves are stores at the edges/outside of brood
How do bees stay warm in the winter?
- cluster together
- rapid contraction of thoracic muscles (shivering)
When does the Queen start laying eggs again after stopping to overwinter?
Late January-February
When does the colony’s population grow the fastest in its annual cycle?
Early Spring: late March - early June
- food becomes available outside of nest and workers foraging again
When do swarming and mating flights usually occur?
Mid to late spring: May - June
When does the colony reach it’s maximum/peak population?
June - July
(up to 60,000 adult bees)
How does the colony treat drones when fall comes?
- stop feeding drones so they starve to death
- physically toss them out of the hive
How much pollen does the average colony consume per year?
20-30 kg of pollen, 1 million flower trips
How much honey does the average colony consume per year?
60-80 kg of honey, 4 million flower trips. This is what the colony NEEDS for winter survival
What is propolis?
A black substance that is made by plants, used as bee antibiotic, disinfectant, caulking
