Honey Bee Biology

Honey bees are social insects. Colonies, hormonally controlled through insect pheromones, are built by three castes of insects differing in function and morphology. The entire population of a bee family is considered by evolutionary biologists as a superorganism.

Honey comb – the nest…

The nest is built from pure wax secreted by the wax glands of worker bees only in the presence of the queen. These glands are located on the underside of the worker’s abdomen. Liquid wax is secreted and hardens into scales, which the worker bee can transfer to its mandibles using hooks on its legs. The bee then forms a small ball of transparent wax, which it kneads and shapes as needed. The combs essentially serve as the skeleton of the colonial organism. Interactions between members of the society and communication occur through chemical signals and vibrations of the comb surfaces or air. The complexity of these signals is so high that many behaviors and coordination methods of bees remain undiscovered.

Currently, managed bee families consist of 20,000-100,000 individuals, depending on the season and management method. Bee swarms should be considered as a functional whole, meaning that no individual can survive more than a few hours detached from the community.

Bees, as swarms (superorganisms), reproduce through a process called swarming. In short, this involves worker bees raising a new queen while the old queen, before the new one transforms into an adult bee, leaves with half or more of the worker bees to build a new nest in a location previously chosen by scouts.

The entire swarming process is incredibly interesting. Everything is strictly coordinated and programmed. A keen observer will hear the quacking of the young queen in the queen cell and the squeaks of the old queen causing the comb to vibrate. About 5-14 days after the birth of the young queen, mating flights occur, during which the queen seeks drones, the future fathers of the swarm.

The maximum population of a bee family in an observation hive, as well as in any other hive, can be easily calculated using the formula:

Population = (k/25)*35

where k is the number of cells available for the queen to lay eggs, 25 is the development time of bees in days, and 35 is the lifespan of a bee in days during the summer. In a conventional hive, the expression (k/25)*35 represents the maximum fertility of the queen bee: up to 2000 eggs per day for most breeds, and up to 3000 eggs per day for the Italian breed.

Therefore, in a family where the queen has access to one frame in an observation hive with 25×25 cells, there are approximately 625 cells on one side of the comb, giving about 1200 cells in total. This applies if the queen is restricted to laying eggs in only one body of the 3D hive. The optimal number of worker bees would be 1680. This is an ideal value if all cells are suitable for egg-laying. However, usually, only 90% of cells are suitable. Thus, the maximum number of bees a family can sustain is 1300 individuals.

To visualize this quantity, consider how many bees can densely cover one frame. Approximately 280 bees can occupy 1 dm² of comb. One frame has a surface area of 1.56 dm², so about 400 bees can sit on one frame. In a standard hive with 3 frames, there are about 1200 bees on both sides. However, observation hives (compared to conventional hives) have a large surface area for heat loss. Therefore, the density of bees must be higher to efficiently warm the brood. Experimentally, it has been calculated that one frame (12.5×12.5 cm) can accommodate 200-250 worker bees on one side. This means one body can accommodate up to 500 worker bees. Thus, an observation hive can hold up to 2500 worker bees at a room temperature of around 20°C.

It is essential to learn to count bees in this way to avoid keeping them in too cramped hives, which would lead to a swarming mood and eventually swarming.

Looking at the numbers, it is clear that restricting the queen to one body provides enough bees for the entire hive. If the queen is allowed to lay eggs throughout the hive, the bees will reach a swarming mood within 1.5 months because they won’t all fit. The queen can be allowed to lay eggs throughout the hive only if significant expansion with additional bodies is planned, or if she is naturally limited by nectar storage over the brood during strong inflows. In a highly expanded hive (>4 bodies), a queen excluder is not needed, as the worker bees naturally limit the queen’s egg-laying with stored food.

Remember that frames with foundation placed between brood combs are best built, and those placed above are built slower but still efficiently during a good nectar flow. The worst-built combs are those placed below or far from the brood behind a queen excluder without a nectar flow.

In summary, an observation hive is typically designed for about 2500 bees or about 250 grams of insects. Without a queen excluder or vertical expansion to 5 bodies, the hive will quickly fill with worker bees, leading to the queen and half the swarm leaving. Expanding the hive to 5 bodies makes a queen excluder unnecessary. Always aim to have one-third of the hive for the queen to lay eggs and the rest for storing supplies. If you have Carniolan bees, vertical expansion to 5-8 bodies often makes a queen excluder unnecessary, as the bees naturally limit the queen with incoming nectar.

Studies have shown that summer bees live 4-6 weeks, and their lifespan is inversely proportional to the distance they fly and the amount of brood they feed. Feeding larvae with royal jelly and intensive foraging shorten bee lifespans. Well-nourished autumn bees, which can no longer forage or feed larvae, can survive over six months, ensuring a good start for the family in the spring.

A bee family must always be treated as a whole – a single organism composed of thousands of small cells (bees) connected by strict hormonal dependence. A solitary bee quickly perishes. The swarm efficiently regulates temperature and humidity in the nest. In winter, the temperature in the center of the winter cluster often exceeds 35°C. In hot weather, bees bring in water, evaporating it in the cells and ventilating the hive to lower the temperature by several degrees. Thermoregulation of combs with brood occurs strictly within 33-34°C. Exceeding 40°C results in mass death of larvae, eggs, and pupae, while dropping below 32°C leads to brood diseases like foulbrood or fungal infections.

Bee swarms and each individual have a defensive instinct that varies among different breeds and lines of bees (similar to dog breeds). Most well-bred lines defend only against significant aggression from humans or other animals and constant provocation. Bees are very sensitive to crushing, killing, and frightening other members of their society. Any actions resulting in the killing of worker bees often trigger a mass defensive response, such as stinging. Therefore, it is essential to handle these insects with caution and respect.