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Lecture No. 27

HONEY BEE-CASTES OF BEES AND BEE BEHAVIOR-APIARY

MANAGEMENT

Bee sec!es

There are fve important species o honey bees as ollows.

1.Apis dorsata: The rock bee

2.Apis cerana indica:The Indian hive bee

3.Apis forea : The little bee

4.Apis melliera: The Eropean or Italian bee

!. Melipona irridipennis: "anner bee# $eliporidae stin%less bee.

Co"#r!so$ o% &ee sec!es

Bee sec!es Co"& t'e Ho$e''!e()*+,co"&'r

Ot/er c/#r#cters

Apis dorsata &in%le# open comb 3'k% (ar%est bee# erociosnon domesticated

A. forea )pen comb 1*2 k% &mallest bee# presentonly in plains

A. ceramaindica

$ltiple# parallelcomb

!k% (ar%er thanA. foreabt smaller thanA.melliera

A. melliera $ltiple# parallelcomb

3!k% (ess prone to swarmin%

Ho$e' &ee c#stes

Every honey bee colony comprises o a sin%le +een# a ew hndred

drones and several thosand worker castes o honey bees. ,een is a ertile#

nctional emale# worker is a sterile emale and the drone is a male insect.

Dut!es o% # 0uee$

1. The only individal which lays e%%s in a colony -$other o all bees.

2. (ays pto 2/// e%%s*day inApis melliera.

3. 0ive to Ten days ater emer%ence# she mates with drones in one or more

nptial i%hts.

4. &he lives or 3 years.

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!. The secretion rom mandiblar %land o the +een is called +eens

sbstance.

'. The +een sbstance i present in scient +antity perorms ollowin%

nctions.

a revent swarmin% and abscondin% o colonies.

b revent development o ovary in workers.

c 5olony cohesion is maintained.

6. The +een can lay either ertili7ed or sterile e%%s dependin% on the

re+irement.

Dut!es o% # )ro$e

1. Their important dty is to ertili7e the +een.

2. They also help in maintenance o hive temperatre.

3. They cannot collect nectar * pollen and they do not possess a stin%.

Dut!es o% # 1or+er

1. Their adlt lie span o arond ' weeks can be divided into

a 0irst three weeks8 hose hold dty.

b 9est o the lie8 ot door dty.

ose hold dty incldes

a. ;ild comb with wa< secretion rom wa< %lands.

b. 0eed the yon% larvae with royal =elly secreted rom hypopharyn%eal

%land.

c. 0eed older larvae with bee8bread -pollen> honey

d. 0eedin% and attendin% +een.

e. 0eedin% drones.

. 5leanin%# ventilatin% and coolin% the hive.

%. ?ardin% the hive.

Out)oor )ut!es

1. 5ollectin% nectar# pollen# propolis and water.

2. 9ipenin% honey in honey stomach.

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Se )!3ere$t!#t!o$ !$ &ees

Bee &e/#4!our

# S1#r"!$,5&warmin% is a natral method o colony mltiplication

in which a part o the colony mi%rates to the new site or make a new colony.

&warmin% occrs when a colony bilts p a considerable stren%th or when

the +eens sbstance secreted by +een alls below a certain level.

Stes !$4o(4!$,

2. "evelopment o drone brood and emer%ence o lar%e nmber o drones

is frst step in swarmin%.

3. @ew +een cells are bilt at the bottom o comb.

4. Ahen the +een cells are sealed ater ppation the old +een alon% with

1*3 rd or hal colony stren%th moves ot o the hive.

!. They frst settle in a nearby bsh.

' The scot bees %o in search o appropriate place or coloni7ation later

the entire colony moves to the sitable site.

6. The frst swarm which comes o the parent colony with the old +een is

called primary swarm.B. The new +een which emer%es kills all other sta%es o +een present

inside the +een cell.

C. &ometimes the new +een is not allowed to destroy sta%es o other

+eens.

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1/. In this case the new +een leaves the hive alon% with a %rop o

workers. This is called ater swarm or cast.

6uee$ suerse)ure

Ahen a old +een is nable to lay scient e%%s# she will be replaced

or sperseded by spersedre +een. In this case# one or 2 +een cells are

constrcted in the middle o the comb. Dt a %iven time both new and old

+eens are seen simltaneosly. (ater the old +een disappears.

E"er,e$c' 0uee$

In the event o death o the +een the e%%s -less than 2 days old in

worker cells are selected and the cell e

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Co""u$!c#t!o$ !$ &eesBee )#$ce

;ees commnicate sin% varios phenomones# incldin% the +eens

sbstance# vasanov %land secretion# alarm pheromone emitted rom stin%

and secretion o tarsal %land. In addition the bees also commnicate by

perormin% certain dances.

Ahen scot bees retrn to the bo< ater ora%in% they commnicate to

the other ora%es present in the bo< abot the direction and distance o the

ood sorce rom the hive by perormin% dances. The important types o

dances are noticed.

8. Rou$) )#$ce

It is sed to indicate a short distance -(ess than !/m in case o

A.melliera. The bee rns in circles# frst in one direction and then in

opposite direction# -clockwise and anticlockwise.

2.T#!( 1#,,!$, )#$ce or 9#,-t#!( )#$ce

This is sed to indicate lon% distance -more than !/m in case o

A.melliera. ere the bee makes two hal circles in opposite directions with a

strai%ht rn in between. "rin% the strai%ht rn# the bee shakes -wa%s its

abdomen rom side to side# the nmber o wa%s per nit time inversely

proportional to the distance o the ood -more the wa%s# less the distance..

The direction o ood sorce is conveyed by the an%le that the dancin% bee

makes between its strai%ht rn and top o the hive which is the same as

between the direction o the ood and direction o the sn. The bees# can

know the position o the sn even i it is clody.

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St!$,!$, &e/#4!or o% &ees

Ahen the brood or adlt bees are accidentally in=red or crshed# other

bees rsh and stin% the operator. Ahen one is stn%# the smell o stin% attractsother bees. Ahen a bee stin%s# the stin% apparats is let inside the victims

body a massive abdominal rptre occrs to the bee. This will lead to

dehydration# which cased death. This is called Fstin% atonomy.

APIARY MANAGEMENT

Pre-re0u!s!tes to st#rt &ee+ee!$,

a. Gnowled%e*Trainin% on beekeepin%.

b. Gnowled%e on local bee ora.

c. &ciency o local bee ora.

A!#r' s!te re0u!re"e$ts

a. The site shold be dry withot dampness. i%h 9 will aHect bee i%ht and

ripenin% o nectar.

b. 9#ter 8 @atral sorce*Drtifcial provision.

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c. 9!$) &re#+s 8 Trees serve as wind belts in cool areas.

d. S/#)e 8 ives can be kept nder shade o trees. Drtifcial strctres can

also be constrcted.

e. Bee #stur#,eF(or#,e 8 lants that yield pollen*nectar to bees are

called bee pastra%e*ora%e.

Ge$er#( #!#r' "#$#,e"e$t r#ct!ces

!.H!4e !$sect!o$

)penin% the hive atleast twice a week and inspectin% or ollowin% details.

resence o +een.

resence o e%%s and brood.

oney and pollen stora%e.

ive record to be maintained or each hive.

resence o bee enemies like wa< moth# mite# disease.

!!. E#$)!$, &roo) $et

"one by providin% comb ondation sheet in empty rame drin% honey

ow period.

!!!. Su,#r s'ru %ee)!$,

&%ar dissolved in water at 1:1 diltion.

sed to eed bees drin% dearth period.

!4. Suer!$, *A))!t!o$ o% %r#"es !$ suer c/#"&er

This is done when brood chamber is flled with bees on all rames are

covered.

5omb ondation sheet or constrcted comb provided in sper chamber.

4. Ho$e' etr#ct!o$

Bee esc#e &o#r) 8 Gept between brood and sper chamber.

;ees bshed away sin% &rus/. 5ells ncapped sin% ncappin% knie.

oney e

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4!. S1#r" "#$#,e"e$t

9emove brood rames rom stron% colony and provide to weak.

inch oH the +een cells drin% inspection.

"ivide stron% colonies into 2 or 3.

Trap and hive primary swarm.

4!!. :$!t!$, &ee co(o$!es - Do$e &' Ne1s#er "et/o)

;rin% colonies side by side by movin% 3/ cm*day.

9emove +een rom week colony.

Geep a newspaper on top o brood chamber o +een 8 9i%ht colony.

$ake holes on the paper.

Geep +eenless colony on top. 5lose hive entrance -the smell o bees will mi

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rovide scient shade -nder trees or artifcial strctre.

To increase 9 and redce heat 8 &prinkle water twice a day on %nny ba%

or rice straw pt on hive. Increase ventilation by introdcin% a splinter

between brood and sper chamber.

rovide s%ar syrp# pollen spplement*sbstitte and water.

9!$ter "#$#,e"e$t

$aintain stron% and disease ree colonies.

rovide new +een to the hives.

Ainter packin% in cooler areas -illy areas.

1. $ana%ement drin% dearth period.

9emove empty combs -and store in air ti%ht container.

se dmmy division board to confne bees to small area.

nite weak colonies.

rovide s%ar syrp# pollen spplement*sbstitte.

1. 9ainy season*monsoon mana%ement.

Dvoid dampness in apiary site. rovide proper draina%e.

In rain when bees are confned to the hive# provide s%ar syrp eedin%.