The Secret Lives of Honey Bees

Apis mellifera

Anatomy, Biology, and the Hive

Honey Bee External Anatomy

• Three Body Regions– Head, Thorax, and Abdomen

Head

• Compound Eyes• Three Ocelli

– Simple Eyes• Antennae

– Respond to Touch & Odor

• Mandibles• Proboscis

– Lapping up Nectar & Other Fine Particles

Compound Eye

Mosaic Picture

Also in UV

http://www.naturfotograf.com/UV_flowers_list.html

Thorax• Point of Attachment for

– Six Legs– Two Pairs of Wings

Pollen Baskets

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

Internal Anatomy

Nasonov Gland

• “Come Hither” Pheromone

• Released by Worker Bees to Signal entrance of hive or mark flowers

Nervous System

Circulatory System

Stinger

Honey Bee Biology

Complete Metamorphosis

Workers, Drones, & Queen

Worker Bees (Are all Female)

•   Worker Bee Life Cycle– Hatching of egg: 3 Days– Larva stage (Feeding): 5 days– Pupa stage: 13 days– From Egg to Adult: 21 days

Drones

• Mate with virgin queen. Die after mating• ~ 17 Drones may mate with Queen during her

mating flight.• Get “kicked out” of hive in winter.

Queen

• Mature female that received abundant amounts of royal jelly while as larva

• Can live 2 – 4 years• Can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day during

spring build up.

Metamorphosis of Queen Bee

– Egg hatches on Day 3– Larva (several moltings)Day 3 to Day 8½– Queen cell capped~ Day 7½– Pupa~ Day 8 until emergence– Emergence~Day 15½ - Day 17– Nuptial Flight(s)~Day 20 – 24– Egg Laying~Day 23 and up

Swarming

Eventually, the worker bees decide that• the queen has become too old or

damaged• Or that the hive is physically too small

So… They decide to make a new queen(s)

The Hive

The Frames