Honey Bee Anatomy and Biology Presented by Stacy

Honey Bee Anatomy and Biology Presented by: Stacy Van. Dortrecht

- ABOUT ME Beekeeper over 6 years Co-Owner S & B Apiaries Vice President Central Alabama Beekeeprs Assn Master Beekeeper Certified

Honey Bee Anatomy

Bees have 3 body segments

Honey Bee Major Body Parts

Honey Bees – Biology (cont) Head

The Eyes The Ocelli Uses location of sun Triangulation Stability Compound Eyes Ommatidia sight like pixels 4000 per eye on a worker 7000 -8000 on a drone…WHY?

What a Bee Sees!

ANTENNA Pheromone Detection Ball and Joint Connection from Head - Main Sensory Organ Communication Smell Vibrations Feeling

The Proboscus The proboscis of the honey bee is simply a long, slender, hairy tongue that acts as a straw to bring the liquid food (nectar, honey and water) to the mouth. When in use, the tongue moves rapidly back and forth while the flexible tip performs a lapping motion. After feeding, the proboscis is drawn up and folded behind the head. Bees can eat fine particles like pollen, which is used as a source of protein, but cannot handle big particles.

MANDIBLE - Used for wax molding - Nest mate recognition - Feeding Larva - Mild Alarm Pheromone - Mark foraging Sites

The Thorax “ Motor control of the bee”

• Point of Attachment for • Two Pairs of Wings • 6 Legs

The Legs Each Leg: Femur, Tibea, Tarsus Front Leg: Antenna Cleaner Middle Leg: Tibeal Spine Hind Leg: Corbicula (Pollen Basket) & Pollen Press

Pollen Baskets

The Wings

THE ABDOMAN • Spiracles for Breathing • Stinger/Ovipositor (Workers & Queen) • Male Bees (Drones) do not have a stinger

Honey Bee Major Body Parts

Circulatory System Brain Pulsatile Organ Open end of aorta behind brain Aorta Dorsal diaphragm Ventral diaphragm Heart valves Ostia *

Nervous System

Nasonov Gland • Orientation pheromone • Released by worker bees to signal entrance of hive or mark flowers

Stinger

Honey Bee Biology

Honey Bee Biology. A colony of honey bees comprises a cluster of several to 60, 000 workers (sexually immature females), a queen (a sexually developed female), and, depending on the colony population and season of year, a few to several hundred drones (sexually developed males).

The Honey Bee Colony and it’s Organization

Honey Bee Caste

The QUEEN!! Large eyes Long Elongated Abdomen - MOST important bee in colony Lays over 2, 000 eggs each day Only 1 per colony- MOST TIMES Can sting more than once Queens control their workers by releasing pheromones

What Makes a QUEEN or a worker?

Bee Babies!!

Worker - Smaller eyes Smaller body Stinger Performs many jobs Live span is 4 weeks in summer and longer in winter

DRONE - Large Eyes No stinger Only 200 -600 in a colony Only job is to mate Kicked out of hive before winter to die

What makes a drone?

Honey Bee Development

Honey Bee Biology Glossary of Bee Life Stages Adult- a fully formed honey bee Beebread- a mixture of nectar and pollen Bee metamorphosis- the four stages of transformation in the life of the honey bee Brood- the offspring produced by the colony (eggs and larvae) Cell- a hexagonal chamber built of bees wax for brood rearing and storage of honey and pollen Drone- a male honey bee that is produced from an unfertilized egg Egg- laid by the queen bee, this is the first stage in the life of a honey bee Larva- hatched from an eggs the queen bee lays, the larva will pupate and eventually turn into an adult insect Pollen- the fine, powder like material produced by the anthers of flowering plants Pupa- the third stage in a bees life, during which the larva’s body changes into that of an adult

Honey Bee Biology Glossary of Bee Life Stages (cont) Queen- a female bee that lays eggs Royal jelly- a milky, yellow syrup that is very high in protein, that young worker bees secrete from glands inside their heads and feed to larvae Workers- female bees who build and guard the hive, look after the queen and gather food

u o Y k n a Stacy. V h T