Bee Biology

A honey bee colony is a complex social structure composed of three distinct castes: a single queen, several hundred drones, and thousands of worker bees. Each caste has a specific role that ensures the survival and productivity of the hive.

1. Worker Bees

• Nature: Female bees born from fertilized eggs. They are sterile and cannot reproduce.
• Population: Most numerous caste in a colony, responsible for all activities except reproduction.
• Lifespan: Typically live for about 4-6 weeks during active seasons. However, winter bees live longer (up to 6 months) to sustain the hive until spring.

Lifecycle and Duties of Worker Bees: The life of a worker bee is divided into two main phases:

Household Duties (First 3 Weeks):
These are duties performed within the hive:

• • Comb Building: Produce beeswax from wax glands located under their abdomen. Construct hexagonal cells for brood rearing and storage of pollen and honey.
  • Nursing Young Larvae: Feed newly hatched larvae with royal jelly, a secretion from their hypopharyngeal glands. After 3 days, older larvae are fed bee bread (a mixture of pollen and honey).
  • Attending the Queen: Feed and groom the queen. Transfer pheromones from the queen to other members, maintaining colony unity.
  • Feeding Drones: Provide food to drones, who are otherwise incapable of feeding themselves.
  • Hive Maintenance and Defense: Clean and ventilate the hive by fanning wings. Maintain hive temperature (around 34-35°C) for brood development. Guard the hive entrance against predators and intruders.
  • Processing and Storing Food: Convert nectar into honey by evaporating water content. Store ripened honey in comb cells and seal them with wax caps.

Outdoor Duties (After 3 Weeks): After maturing, worker bees perform outdoor activities: Foraging: Collect nectar, pollen, water, and propolis (a resinous substance used to seal cracks). Ripening Honey: Carry nectar in honey stomach, where enzymes convert it into simple sugars. Deposit nectar into hive cells for further evaporation and honey formation.

2. Drones

• Nature: Male bees produced from unfertilized eggs (haploid).
• Population: Few hundred in a hive during peak seasons. They are expelled during food shortages.
• Role: Their sole purpose is to mate with virgin queens from other hives.
• Characteristics: Larger and stouter than worker bees. Do not possess a sting or wax glands. Unable to gather food or defend the hive.

Reproductive Behavior: Congregate in drone congregation areas awaiting virgin queens. Mating occurs mid-flight, after which drones die due to the rupture of their reproductive organ. Since drones are born from unfertilized eggs, they are clones of the queen and carry only the queen’s genetic material.

3. Queen Bee

• Nature: The only fertile female in the colony.
• Population: Only one queen per hive.
• Role: Sole egg-layer responsible for colony reproduction and maintaining social order through pheromone release.
• Characteristics: Larger abdomen compared to worker bees and drones. Lifespan of 2-5 years, although productivity decreases with age.
• Reproductive Behavior: Mates once in her lifetime with multiple drones during a nuptial flight, storing sperm in her spermatheca for continuous egg-laying. Lays fertilized eggs for worker bees and unfertilized eggs for drones.
• Swarming and Replacement: When the colony becomes overcrowded or the queen ages, she releases pheromones to stimulate the production of new queens. Queen cells are specially constructed for developing queens, which are fed exclusively with royal jelly. Upon emergence, the first virgin queen eliminates rival queens to take control of the hive.

Species of Honey Bees There are five important species of honey bees, each with unique characteristics and behaviors:

1. Rock Bee (Apis dorsata) Habitat: Found across India, especially in sub-mountainous regions up to 2700 m altitude. Comb Structure: Build single, large, exposed combs about 6 feet long and 3 feet deep. Behavior: Highly migratory and ferocious, making them difficult to domesticate. Shift colony location frequently.

• Honey Production: Yield approximately 36 kg of honey per comb annually.
• Size: Largest among all honey bee species.

2. Little Bee (Apis florea)

• Habitat: Common in plains but not found above 450 m altitude.
• Comb Structure: Build small, single, vertical combs in open areas (bushes, hedges, caves). Size is about the size of a human palm.
• Behavior: Highly migratory and cannot be domesticated.
• Honey Production: Produce around 0.5 kg of honey per hive per year.
• Size: Smallest among the Apis species.

3. Indian Hive Bee (Apis cerana indica)

• Habitat: Native to India/Asia and domesticated.
• Comb Structure: Construct multiple parallel combs in hive boxes.
• Behavior: More prone to swarming and absconding compared to other species.
• Honey Production: Yield 6-8 kg of honey per colony per year.
• Size: Larger than Apis florea but smaller than Apis mellifera.

4. European/Italian Bee (Apis mellifera)

• Habitat: Imported from Europe, particularly Italy.
• Comb Structure: Construct multiple parallel combs similar to Indian hive bees.
• Behavior: Less prone to swarming and absconding.
• Honey Production: High yield of 25-40 kg per colony per year.
• Size: Larger than Indian hive bees but smaller than Apis dorsata.

5. Dammer Bee (Melipona irridipennis)

• Type: Stingless bee, smaller than true honey bees.
• Comb Structure: Build irregular combs using wax and resinous substances in crevices and hollow tree trunks.
• Behavior: Cannot sting but bite intruders. Important for pollination of various food crops.
• Honey Production: Very low yield of about 100 gms per hive per year.

Significance of Honey Bees

• Pollination: Crucial pollinators for many agricultural crops, enhancing yield and quality.
• Honey Production: Economic importance for apiculture (bee-keeping industry).
• Environmental Indicators: Bees serve as bioindicators of environmental health.