bees as insects 2019€¦ · title: microsoft powerpoint - bees as insects 2019 author: brian...
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Beekeeping
● Colony as Super-organism
● Colony as Individuals
● Colony Behaviour - Swarming
What are Honey Bees?
Insects
Order HYMENOPTERA which includes Ants &
Wasps
One of 250-260 species of bee in UK
90% Solitary bees
10% SOCIAL bees :-
All 25 bumblebees + ONE honey bee
Social vs Solitary
SOCIAL insects live in complex groups where all work for the benefit of the group (COLONY) and tasks are divided amongst individuals
➢ ANNUAL COLONY exists for one year only (all Bumblebee species, all social wasp species)
➢ PERENNIAL COLONY exists from one year to the next (all ant species, the Honeybee)
SOLITARY insects live only for themselves
1. Colony as a Super-organism
•Individuals act in concert
•Display individual self-
sacrifice (altruism)
Super-organism
Acting in Concert Requires Coordinated
1. Decision making and acceptance
2. Resourcing
3. Accomplishing
4. Stopping
Coordinated Behaviours(some)
1. Foraging – find, recruit, fetch
2. Honey making – invert, evaporate, store
3. Nest Building – wax making, cell building
4. Defending – from marauders
5. Queen Rearing – when and why
6. Swarming
Example of Coordinated Activity Output
Colony – Changes with the Seasons
1. Colony is not static
2. Evolved to match the Seasons
3. Reactive to internal and external conditions
4. No Concept of the future
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10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Colony Size Varies
Bees
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10
20
30
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60
70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Colony Effort Varies
Effort Bees
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Colony Spring Flow
Effort Bees
Spring
Flow
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50
60
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Colony Summer Flow
Effort Bees
Spring
Flow
June Gap
Main
nectar
flowLate
Summer
Flow
Economics of Colony
NECTAR: Carbohydrates (sugars); flowers
POLLEN: Protein, fats & amino acids; flowers
WATER: Temp regulation, Honey usage, Haemolymph (bee
blood); puddles, pools, ponds, nectar
Running “Costs” to the bees: 100lb honey (250lb nectar); 50lb
pollen; 50lb water
Total production honey: 125-180lb honey
Colony needs c. 30 - 50lbs
honey over winter
Hive produces excess
of 50lbs in average
year
NB current account
vs savings account
Managing the Colony with a Modern HiveUse demo hive to show how it can match the colonyneeds as the seasons progress
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10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Colony Dynamics
Effort Bees
Spring
Flow
June Gap
Main
nectar
flowLate
Summer
Flow
Super Organism – Summary Points
1. Colony behaves as a single entity
2. Colony size and effort varies with the seasons
3. Colony builds and uses a wax nest…
4. …for raising brood and storing food
5. Nectar flows in Spring and in Summer
6. Colony needs sizeable food store to get through the winter
7. Modern hive designed to match the colony’s changing needs
during the year.
2. Colony as Individuals
Three Castes & Two Sexes
1 queen~60,000 workers ~2000 drones
but in winter
~10,000 workers 1 queen 0 drones
Courtesy of Clive de Bruyn
Castes by Number
Drone – the Flying Gamete
• Male
• Sexually mature
after 10 days
• Role is only to mate
with a new queen
• Critically important
spreading colony’s
genes
The Drone
Large Eyes, big wings, long antennae and hairy bum
~ 2000 from Spring to late Summer
Live up to four months
Completely dependent upon workers
• Female
• Sexually mature
• Mates in first few
weeks of her adult
life
• Longer abdomen
The Queen
Queen – Egg Laying Machine
• ~2000 eggs per day
• ~ 250k eggs per year
• Rate of lay controlled by
colony
• Sperm from 15 or so
drones stored in
spermatheca
• Can live up to 5 years
• Totally dependent
upon workers
• Critical to the
viability of the colony
• Prisoner of the colony
The Queen
Raising a New Queen – Three Reasons
1. Colony about
to/has swarmed
(queen gone)
2. Queen is dead
3. Queen is failing
(supersedure)
queen cells
Worker Bee
• Female
• Sexually immature
→ Unable to mate
• Lives ~ 6 weeks
(Spring, Summer)
• Lives ~ 5 months
(Winter)
Duties changes with age of worker
• 0 - 6 days cell cleaning, general hive cleaning
• 3 - 9 days feeding the brood
• 3 - 15 days attending the queen
• 6 - 18 days honey processing
• 12 - 20 days WAX production and comb building
• 15 - 25 days hive ventilation
• 18 - 35 days guard duty
• 20d - death FORAGING (nectar & pollen)
• 25d - death water & propolis collection
• 0d - death keeping brood warm
Y
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N
G
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L
D
Colony – Age Profile
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10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
drones
old
young
Bee Life Cycle(Complete Metamorphosis)
Insects only grow
during the larval
stage
Worker bee body
mass increases 1000-
fold in six days
Season - 0.5cwt of
pollen required
Bee Life Cycle(Egg to Adult)
Worker fertilised egg
Queen fertilised egg
Drone UNfertilised egg (NO dad!)
Bee Life Cycle - (Egg to Adult)
Worker 3+6+12 = 21 days{1x3+2x3+4x3}
Queen 3+8+5 = 16 days
Drone 3+7+14 = 24 days
Individual Bees – Summary Points
1. Queen (long-lived) and workers are female
2. Drone is male
3. Worker’s role changes as she matures
4. Colony must have a queen (viable eggs)
5. Drones only needed from spring to summer
6. Winter workers live much longer than
summer workers
3. Swarming
1. Colony’s way of reproducing
2. Evolutionary advantageous -without swarming colony is at risk of annihilation through disease, attack, etc.
WHY ?
WHEN ?
Swarming season runs from April to July/August
Needs DronesQueenForageGood Weather
TRIGGERS
1. Lack of absolute and/or
workable space
2. Constrained by bad weather
3. Genetic predisposition
Swarming Process
1. Impulse is Triggered2. Scouts sent out to look for staging point3. Swarm QCs are raised4. At some point – often day 8/9 time to go5. Bees rush around bumping into one another6. Mass of bees boil out of the nest…7. …taking the Old Queen with them8. Swarm clusters at staging point 9. Scouts sent out to find new home10.When found the swarm disappears
Swarming Process - parameters
1. Swarm has enough supplies for 72 hours
2. Supplies for flying, keeping warm and building
new nest
3. Large number of WAX producers needed
4. Preference shown for an old abandoned nest
5. Often occurs after period of containment
6. MUST HAVE a queen
Impact of Swarming
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5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
January
FebruaryM
arch
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Brood
Adults
Management – Collecting Swarm
Equipment Standard -
Container
White Sheet
Brush/feather
Secateurs
Step Ladder
Equipment Other
Pitch fork
Piece of Old comb
Management – Hiving Swarm
Ramp and Sheet Method
Shaking into Top Method
Swarming – Summary Points
1. Way the Super Organism Reproduces2. Season is April to July/August3. Triggered by environmental conditions (internal and
external)4. Old queen LEAVES, new queen RAISED5. Half the colony goes – impacts Honey production6. Beekeeper must manage internal conditions7. Beekeeper can (usually) spot preparations8. Swarm collection good way to increase stocks
Questions ?