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Depiction:
The drone is the male of the honey bee and the largest insect in the colony. It has a stocky build, with a thorax covered in hair. It is recognisable by its head topped with two large, globular eyes and a pair of antennae; its abdomen is rounded, and its flight is relatively loud and ungainly. Its primary role is to transmit its mother’s genetic heritage during mating.
by R. Prasad
The defense of a society often requires certain specialized members to coordinate in order to repel a threat at the risk of their lives. This is particularly true for honey bees, which defend the hive and may sacrifice their lives when stinging. At the core of this cooperative defensive response lies the sting alarm pheromone, whose main component is isoamyl acetate (IAA).
Winter is undoubtedly the most demanding period for bees. However, nature has provided so-called “winter bees” with characteristics that enable them to withstand the rigours of the cold season. Winter bees have larger fat reserves than summer bees, they possess a more developed hair covering that provides natural insulation, and the contraction of the thoracic muscles generates a significantly greater release of heat than in summer bees. Their constitution, together with their behaviour, allows them to live longer and to cope with the harsh conditions of winter.
The behavioural regulation of thirst, water collection and water storage in honey bee colonies.
This study examined how a honey bee colony detects and quenches its collective thirst when brood hyperthermia (>36°) is observed.
Phacelia, Phacelia tanacetifolia, is an annual herbaceous plant reaching a height of between 50 and 120 cm. It originates from California and Mexico and was introduced into Europe in the 19th century. It occurs near dwellings and on wasteland, where it can even become invasive; however, it is mainly cultivated as a green manure, as a forage crop, or as an intermediate crop.
Like any living organism, the bee is prey to various parasites and pathogenic germs: every colony contains a broad and diverse range of microbes. Yet not every colony becomes ill as a result! This is because, like all living beings, bees have developed various means over the course of evolution to resist them: this is what is known as immunity. Bees, like humans, possess an immune defence system, but with some differences.
The queen’s primary function is to lay eggs, enabling the emergence of all individuals that make up the population of a bee colony. The queen’s many other functions are not addressed in this brief article.
Collecting pollen is no small task : bees therefore use several senses and different techniques to choose it.
Deciduous trees and shrubs with hermaphroditic white to slightly pink flowers that develop into edible fruits of various colours. In Switzerland, the wild cherry (P. avium), plum (P. domestica), sour cherry (P. cerasus), apricot (P. armeniaca), and blackthorn (P. spinosa) are commonly found.
The tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), also known as the Japanese varnish tree, is a tree belonging to the family Simaroubaceae that can reach a height of 25 to 30 metres. It originates from East Asia and was deliberately introduced into Europe in the 18th century for ornamental purposes, but above all in connection with silk production, as the plant served as a food source for a moth, the ailanthus silkmoth (Samia cynthia), which was intended to replace the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori).
Four types of queen cells are distinguished :
1. Natural swarming queen cells
2. Emergency queen cells
3. Supersedure queen cells
4. Artificial queen cells
The division of a colony is carried out for various reasons :
- increase of the colony stock,
- replacement of a dead colony that has become drone-laying,
- risk of swarming in a very strong colony,
- creation of nuclei for trade,
- or reserve colonies to compensate for expected losses in the following year …
There are many different and very simple methods for dividing hives.
The method described below works well :
Measuring about 1 mm³, the bee’s brain is capable of remarkable feats thanks to highly sophisticated cognitive mechanisms. The bee makes decisions, memorises flight paths by precisely tracking the course of the sun, identifies food sources and evaluates them both qualitatively and quantitatively, and transmits multiple types of information to its nestmates in order to recruit a large number of foragers with differentiated skills.
The parasitic mite is decimating beehives. Biologist Paul Page has shown that an Asian forager has found a countermeasure through a system of “altruistic suicide.” A model that its European cousin could follow?
Members of an “Apis mellifera” colony share the same olfactory signature, emitted by their cuticular hydrocarbons and linked to a specific intestinal bacterial flora.
The glandular system, the circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems, as well as the digestive, excretory and reproductive systems, will be presented in turn in the following fact sheets. When addressing the internal anatomy of the honey bee, an anatomical plate is more informative than lengthy explanations.
Invasive plants are non-native plant species that have been introduced intentionally or accidentally by humans outside their area of origin and that reproduce and spread extensively, to the detriment of native species. Most often originating from other continents, they profoundly disrupt ecosystems and reduce local biological diversity.
There is a simple and fairly reliable method for adjusting (calibrating) the refractometer: using extra virgin olive oil.
According to a test conducted by Dr. Werner von der Ohe from the Bee Institute in Celle, calibration of the refractometer with extra virgin olive oil at a temperature of 20 ºC is possible. Tests using three different extra virgin olive oils showed a maximum deviation of 0.08 % (see the article published below in ADIZ – die biene – Imkerfreund).
Himalayan balsam or glandular balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), of Asian origin, is a typical example of a plant that divides beekeepers, gardeners, and ecologists: highly nectar-producing and very ornamental, it nevertheless poses an ecological threat, as its invasive nature has a substantial impact on local biodiversity.
Over the past year, articles dealing with the falsification of wax have frequently been published in the specialist press. The damage includes the collapse of combs, patchy brood patterns on newly built combs, and bees becoming trapped during emergence. The cause of these problems is the addition of stearin, paraffin, or other organic substances. Pesticide residues can also cause damage. As is known from experience with mothballs, there is likewise a risk that undesirable chemical additives in the wax may later appear in the honey.
Bees that build their own combs are less inclined to swarm, as the pheromones released during wax production inform the queen about the increase in the volume of the hive.
The wax originates from specialized glands located in the abdomen of young wax-producing worker bees approximately 12 days old, developing in an environment with temperatures between 33 °C and 36 °C. These workers consume large amounts of sugar for wax production, about 7.5 kg to produce 1 kg of wax. The wax appears in the form of small scales weighing less than 1 mg. Using her hind legs, the bee brings them to her mandibles, kneads them, and assembles them