
THE HONEYBEE
Honeybees are some of the most fascinating insects on earth. They are not only responsible for the production of honey but also play a vital role in pollination, which is essential for the growth of crops and plants. In this article, we will explore some basic knowledge of honeybees, including their anatomy, behaviour, and life cycle.
​
HOW A BEE MAKES HONEY
Honey is a natural sweetener produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. The process of making honey begins with foraging worker bees collecting nectar from flowers. They use their long, straw-like tongues to extract the nectar and store it in their honey stomachs, which are separate from their regular stomachs.
​
The nectar is then brought back to the hive, where the worker bees regurgitate it into the mouth of another bee. This bee chews the nectar for about half an hour, breaking down the complex sugars and enzymes in the nectar. This process of regurgitating and chewing is repeated several times until the nectar is partially digested.
​
The partially digested nectar, now known as "bee bread," is then stored in honeycomb cells. The bees then use their wings to fan the cells, evaporating the moisture in the bee bread and transforming it into honey. This process can take several days or even weeks, depending on the moisture content of the nectar and the temperature and humidity inside the hive.
​
Once the honey is fully matured and the moisture content is reduced to about 18%, the bees seal the cells with a wax cap. This preserves the honey until it is needed as a source of food for the colony during the winter or when food sources are scarce.
​
It's important to note that not all bees make honey. While honeybees are the most well-known producers of honey, other species of bees and insects also make various types of sweet substances from flower nectar.
​
ANATOMY OF A HONEYBEE
Honeybees have three main body parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen.
The head contains the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts. Honeybees have two large compound eyes and three smaller ocelli on the top of their head. The antennae are used for touch, smell, and taste, while the mouthparts consist of a proboscis used for feeding and a pair of mandibles used for manipulating wax and other materials.
​
The thorax contains the wings and legs of the honeybee. Honeybees have four wings that are hooked together during flight, allowing them to fly at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Their legs have specialized hairs and structures that enable them to carry pollen and help them climb and walk on flowers and other surfaces.
​
The abdomen contains the digestive, reproductive, and respiratory systems of the honeybee. The honeybee's digestive system includes a crop, midgut, and hindgut. The crop stores nectar and other liquids, while the midgut and hindgut break down food and absorb nutrients. The reproductive system includes the ovaries and the spermatheca, where sperm are stored after mating. The respiratory system consists of a network of tracheae that bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide.
​
BEHAVIOUR OF HONEYBEES
​
Honeybees are social insects that live in large groups called colonies. Each colony is made up of three types of bees: the queen, workers, and drones. The queen is the only reproductive female in the colony and lays all the eggs. The workers are non-reproductive females that perform all the tasks necessary to maintain the colony, including caring for the brood, foraging for food, and defending the hive. Drones are male bees that are produced during the breeding season and their sole purpose is to mate with the queen.
​
Honeybees communicate with each other using a variety of methods, including dance, pheromones, and touch. The waggle dance is used by worker bees to communicate the location of food sources to other members of the colony. Pheromones are chemical signals that are used to indicate alarm, attraction, or other behaviours. Touch is also an important mode of communication, with bees using physical contact to signal to each other about the status of the colony and the location of resources.
​
LIFE CYCLE OF HONEYBEES
​
Honeybees undergo complete metamorphosis, which means they go through four distinct stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The queen lays eggs in the cells of the honeycomb, which hatch into larvae after a few days. The larvae are fed by worker bees with a mixture of nectar, pollen, and glandular secretions. After about a week, the larvae spin a cocoon and enter the pupal stage. During this time, the bee undergoes a complete transformation and eventually emerges as an adult bee.
​
The queen bee has a longer lifespan than the workers and drones. The queen can live for up to five years, while the workers typically live for several weeks to a few months. Drones live for only a few weeks during the breeding season, after which they are expelled from the colony.
​
Honeybees are complex and fascinating creatures with a unique anatomy, behaviour, and life cycle.
UNDERSTANDING HONEYBEES AND THEIR ROLES IN THE HIVE
​
There are three main types of honeybees in a hive: the queen, worker bees, and drones.
​
Queen bee: The queen is the largest bee in the hive, and her primary role is to lay eggs. She is responsible for populating the hive with new bees, and she can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day during the peak season. The queen bee is also responsible for producing pheromones that help regulate the behaviour of the other bees in the hive. Of all the bees in a colony, the queen bee is the most important. She is the only sexually developed female bee in the colony and her primary role is to lay eggs, ensuring the survival and growth of the colony. The queen bee is also responsible for producing pheromones that regulate the behaviour and development of other bees in the colony.
​
Worker bees: The majority of bees in the hive are worker bees, which are all female. They perform a variety of tasks, including cleaning and maintaining the hive, collecting nectar and pollen, and caring for the brood. As they age, they take on different roles within the hive. Some become nurse bees, responsible for feeding and caring for the young larvae. Others become foragers, flying out of the hive to collect nectar, pollen, and water. Worker bees are also responsible for defending the hive against predators. During the larval stage, the worker bee is fed a protein-rich substance called "royal jelly" for the first few days, which triggers the development of her reproductive organs. After this initial period, the worker bee is fed a mixture of pollen and honey until she is ready to pupate. Once she enters the pupal stage, she begins to develop the specialized structures and behaviours that will allow her to perform the various tasks of a worker bee. When she emerges as an adult, the worker bee will typically spend the first few days of her life inside the hive, cleaning and caring for the brood. As she grows older, she will take on different roles, such as guarding the hive entrance or building honeycomb. Eventually, she will begin to forage for nectar and pollen, traveling up to several miles from the hive to gather these resources.
​
Drones: Drones are male bees whose primary role is to mate with the queen. They do not have stingers, and they do not collect nectar or pollen. Drones are produced in the spring and summer months, and their numbers increase as the queen begins to lay more eggs. In terms of physical characteristics, drones can be distinguished from the queen and worker bees by their larger size and broader abdomen. They also have larger eyes that meet on the top of their head, allowing them to fly high in the air to mate with queen bees. Overall, drones play an important role in the reproduction of honeybee colonies, but do not contribute as much to the day-to-day activities of the hive as worker bees do. Drones are expelled from the hive in the fall, as they are not needed during the winter months when the hive focuses on conserving resources.
DEVELOPMENT STAGES
​
Each type of honeybee (queen, worker, and drone) goes through three stages of development: egg, larva, and pupa.
​
Egg: The queen bee lays the eggs in the comb cells. The eggs are tiny, about the size of a pinhead, and are attached to the bottom of the cell. The queen bee can lay up to 1,500 eggs per day during the peak season. The eggs hatch within three days.
​
Larva: The newly hatched larvae are fed with royal jelly, a protein-rich secretion produced by the nurse bees. The larvae are initially fed with a mixture of royal jelly and pollen, but after three days, the worker larvae are switched to a diet of honey and pollen. The queen larvae continue to be fed with royal jelly throughout their development. The larvae grow rapidly and molt their skin several times during this stage.
​
Pupa: The pupal stage is the final stage of development before the adult honeybee emerges. During this stage, the bee is sealed in its cell with a wax cap. Inside the cell, the bee undergoes metamorphosis, and its body changes from a larva into an adult bee. The pupal stage lasts for 7-14 days, depending on the type of bee:
​
-
Drone: The drone bee pupates for 14 days before emerging from his cell.
-
Worker: The worker bee pupates for 12 days before emerging from her cell.
-
Queen: The queen bee pupates for 7-8 days before emerging from her cell.
After emerging from the cell, the adult bee will need to spend some time adjusting to life outside the hive. Worker bees will immediately begin performing various tasks such as cleaning the hive, caring for the brood, and foraging for nectar and pollen. The queen will mate with drones and begin laying eggs. The drones will mate with queens and eventually die off. The cycle will continue as the hive grows and new bees are born.
​
Queen Bee: The queen bee lays eggs, which hatch into larvae after 3 days. The larvae are fed with royal jelly produced by worker bees. The queen larvae are fed with royal jelly exclusively, which helps them develop into a fully-formed queen bee. After pupating for about 8-9 days, a new queen emerges from her cell and will mate with several drones before returning to the colony to lay eggs.
Worker Bee: Worker bees also begin as eggs laid by the queen, but the worker larvae are fed with a mixture of pollen and honey. After 3 days, the eggs hatch into larvae, which grow and molt for about a week before spinning cocoons around themselves and becoming pupae. During this time, they undergo metamorphosis and grow into fully-formed worker bees, which emerge from their cells after about 21 days.
​
Drone Bee: Drone bees also start as eggs laid by the queen, but the drone larvae are fed with royal jelly initially and then a mixture of pollen and honey. After 3 days, the eggs hatch into larvae, which grow and molt for about 6 days before spinning cocoons around themselves and becoming pupae. They undergo metamorphosis and grow into fully-formed drone bees, which emerge from their cells after about 24 days.
It's worth noting that the duration of each stage of the bee's life cycle can vary depending on factors such as temperature and food availability. Additionally, the queen bee has a longer lifespan compared to worker and drone bees, which generally live for a few weeks to a few months.