Tools of beekeeping. Life of the honeybee colony Flashcards
apiary definition
location where hives are kept
how many tubes make up honey bee hives
6 sided tubes
optimal for honey production
require less wax
can hold more honey
optimal temperature to control texture of the wax
30-35oC
how do bees construct their hives
by chewing wax until it becomes soft
bonding large quantities of wax into cells of a honeycomb
3 types of cells
drone
workers
queen
shape of a drone cell
large hexagonal with a doomed cap
shape of a worker cell
small hexagon with a flat cap
shape of a queen cell
large
thimble shape
hang vertically
how does honey get into cells
bees vomit
who produces honey
workers due to special enzymes in mandibular gland
define strong colony
covers 7-8 combs
40-60 thousand workers
define week colony
covers less than 5 combs
less than 30 thousand workers
estimating a bee population with a 10x10cm comb
800-850 brood cells
300-350g honey
optimal temp of the brood
32-36 degrees
how is optimal temp of the brood kept
fanning wings to cool down
metabolizing honey to heat it
temperature of a winter cluster at the start of winter
27 degrees
tempreture of a winter cluster when the queen resumes laying
34 degrees
outside edges of the winter cluster temperature
8-9 degrees
how much honey to they consume during the winter
15-50 kg
what is swarming
colony’s way of multiplying
they decide to split and create another colony
When a hive is filled with honey and has no room for new eggs, worker bees search for a suitable place to set up a new colony
- The queen takes about half the worker bees
signs bees are about to swarm
start producing queen cells
no more room in the brood box
clusters of bees appear near the entrance of the hive
honey bee dance
discovering a new food source - a way to signal the other bees
types of honey bee dance
round dance
waggle dance - 8 pattern
spring activity in apirary
opening of hives and inspection, stimulating feed
