Entomology+--+Bees

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Entomology Bee Project 2009

General Information of Bees Bees are 4-winged insects with long large hind legs, body hair and most of the time stingers. A bee's size can range anywhere from 2 mm to 4 cm. The way they communicate is by performing different dances. Pollen and nectar are collected by the worker bees from the flowers. Bees carry the pollen on their back legs which are called the corbicula. The bees can turn the nectar from flowers into honey. To make just 1 tablespoon of honey each day, the worker bee has to visit over 4,000 flowers to collect the nectar. The offspring of the queen bee is fed with both the pollen and honey. The queen bee, which may be the most important one of all, is responsible in creating all of the babies for the hive. Enemies that may cause trouble to a colony consist of wasps, mice, birds and other small animals. As the bee dates back to 19 million years ago you will find out that there are anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 different species of bees in the entire world. As you read along with this passage, you will come across a few of the different species there are in this world around you.

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 * Colony **

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A colony is made up of the brood, the worker bee, the drone bee, and the queen bee. There is only one queen bee per colony, while there are over several hundred drones and 30,000 to 80,000 workers and brood. No individual bee can start a new colony by themselves. During the course of one year, one colony can potentially gather more than 260 pounds of nectar. Several thousand foraging worker bees will be gathering nectar for the colony at any one time. The foraging bees collect from flower patches spread over areas as wide as 40 square miles. The queen is the only member of the colony capable of laying eggs, laying up to 1,500 eggs during a 24 hour period. The drone's sole function is to furnish spermatozoa. Mating takes place outside the nest in the air and the drone dies after the act. The worker bee is a non-reproductive female. Normally, young worker bees perform hive duties while older bees forage in the field. The bees live only 6 weeks or less during the peak season. Workers which emerge in fall generally live through the winter, but don’t make it through the spring. All castes of the honey bee pass through four stages in the development: egg, larva, pupa and adult. At the end of the feeding period, attendant bees seal the mature larva in its cell by means of a porous wax capping. After the capping is in place, the larva spins a cocoon lining the inside of its cell. During its growth, the larva molts five times. The pupa molts once before the adult bee emerges from the cell. ======

[] [] //Jess Z. //

Worker Bee All of the worker bees make up about 85% of the nest and are all female. A healthy colony may contain 80,000 worker bees or more at its peak growth in early summer. The life span of worker bees is 4 to 6 months in the winter but only 28 to 35 days in the spring and summer. Worker bees may be classified as housekeepers. They are responsible for the hive, or as foragers whose role is to collect the nectar, pollen, and water necessary to sustain life. Once they become foragers, they are susceptible to predation, bad weather, and wing burnout. The primary cause of death for a worker bee is burnout.  //Courtney J.// worker bees with the queen.

References: []

[]  Dylan S.  Queen Bee The Queens sole function is to serve as the reproducer.  The Queen can lay about 2,000 eggs per day during the spring which is more than her own bodyweight  The Queen is continuously surrounded by worker bees who do everything for her like giving her food and disposing of her waste.  The old Queen lays several new Queen eggs and when they hatch they fight and the one that is still alive is the new queen.  <span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msospacerun: yes;"> The Queens cell that it is hatched in is similar to a butterfly cocoon. when they hatch they chew away at the tip of the cell <span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msospacerun: yes;"> Reproductive Castes are the queen and drone <span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Queen - produces eggs to maintain the colony. Drones - mate with new queens. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">
 * =Information to start this project came from []**

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> [] [] []

Drone bees carry just one kind of allele, because they are haploids. They are called hemizygous. They emerge from Brood Cells. The male drones only have one purpose, which that purpose is to mate with the queen. They have extraordinarily big eyes (2x the size of the Queen and worker bees’) so that they never lose sight of the queen during the mating flight. The Drone and Queen mate secretively. This is done up to 100 feet in the air. The Laying Worker Bee exclusively produces unfertilized eggs, which develop drone bees. Drones however do not have stingers. Drone bees do not have to climb out of their brood cells by themselves, but workers do. Drones get help from nurse bees. When supplies are low or winter is about to come, the workers have the tendancy to kick the drones out of the nest. During mating, if the drone is lucky enough and mates with the queen; then he unfortunately gets his reproductive parts ripped out and dies. __ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/hive.html __ __ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_(bee) __
 * Drone Bees **
 * Work Cited: **


 * <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bee Communication **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bee's number one way of communication between bees is the waggle dance. Bees perform the waggle dance when a bee finds a nectar source. When they perform the waggle dance, they go to a special dance floor, which is conveniently located near the entrance and exit of of the hive, and only bees with news of highly profitable sources of nectar execute the dance. Once on the dance floor, the bee dances a figure-eight pattern, with a straight "walk" in between the loops and a flutters its wings. The dance is broken down into several stages. The longer the bee waggles, typically between 1-100 waggle runs per dance, the longer the flower patch lies away from the hive, with every 75 milliseconds, the bee prolongs the dance adding roughly another 330 feet to the distance. The bee indicates how rich the source is by how vigorously it dances. Then, the bee indicates the direction of the source by the angle her waggle walk deviates from an imaginary straight line drawn from the dance floor to the sun at its current position. In other words, if the source lies in the exact direction of the sun, the bee will walk facing exactly straight up. Then finally, it shares the odor of the flower with the other bees, which is stored in its antennae. **
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Dakota H.

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">[|http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/hive.html] **

**// CARPENTER BEES //** **__Identification__** <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Range in length from ¾ to 1 inch <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· It has fuzzy yellow hair on upper section of body <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Has a shiny, metallic black abdomen <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· The thorax is yellow, orange, or white <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Do not have the stripes of typical stereotyped view of a regular bee <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Are large and very active <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Often mistaken for the Bumble bee <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Difference between them are the Bumblebee has yellow abdomen, black thorax and yellow, fuzzy head while the Carpenter Bee has black head, yellow thorax, and shiny metallic black abdomen. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Will nest in a wide range of different types of wood, including both hardwood and softwood. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· They prefer weathered wood that is easier to drill <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· In the eastern part of U.S., they generally flock to cedar, redwood, cypress, pine, fir and other softwoods. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· They prefer softwoods that have a straight grain for easy tunneling. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· The western bees prefer oak trees, redwood or eucalyptus. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Choose to tunnel in structural timbers on buildings, sheds, and garages or may choose other wood products like fence posted, utility poles, firewood, lawn furniture or arbors. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Generally avoid well-painted wood or wood that is covered with bark. Damage caused from Carpenter Bees **__ Economic Impact __** <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Carpenter bees are good for pollinating plants. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Will dive-bomb and fly erratically around humans who walk nearby <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· The male carpenter bees are extremely territorial and fly aggressively <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· However, the male carpenter possess no stinger and are completely harmless to humans <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· The female carpenter bees are docile and only sting if they are handled. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Young adult male and female bees hibernate in the tunnels during the winter. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Males and females mate in the spring <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Also in spring they clean out and enlarge the old tunnels or excavate new ones as brood chambers for their young. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· In each chamber of the tunnel, they provision “bee bread”, a mixture of pollen and regurgitated nectar, which serves as food for the larvae. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Eggs are deposited on the food supply and each chamber is sealed off. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Newly developed adult carpenter bees emerge in August, fee on nectar and return to the tunnels to over-winter.
 * __ Habits __**
 * __ Life Cycle __**

[] [|http://www.carpenterbeehive.com]
 * __ References __**


 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">Defense **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">

<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bee's have more defenses than just their stingers. Their number 1 priority is to protect the nest. Guard bee's that are patrolling the single entrance in and out of the nest attack <span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> anything that tries to get into it that doesn't belong. For extra defense while building the nest, bees cover the interior walls with floral herbicides and fungicides. Each nest has its own odor that way they can tell the difference between who belongs in the nest and who doesn't. If a wasp or any other predator approaches the nest, the bees do a booty dance. The booty dance is when all the bees raise their abdomens and shake them as a group. To people this seems to be very interesting but to a predator it scares and confuses them. Worker Bee's will sting anyone who comes in the nest that shouldn't be there. The sting also can go into other insects it may be attended for and is used in fights between queen bees <span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. Apis Cerana against other insects like wasps are surrounded by a bunch of worker bees and as they vibrate their muscles as fast as they can, by doing this it raises the temperature of the other insect and can even kill it. Worker bees are the only bees that <span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> have stinger barbs. Once the stinger is inserted into the desired target, it can continue to produce venom into the target because it has its own muscle to keep it attached. If the stinger is ever ripped out of the bee, it will die right then and there. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">//By: Austin E.//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">[] [] [] [] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastlanguage: EN-US; msonoproof: yes;">

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">A single colony of bees can contain anywhere from 20,000-30,000 bees. At any time, one colony can have several thousand worker bees gathering nectar up to 40 square miles. One colony of bees will collect up to 260 pounds of nectar/year. A colony of bees is always gathering information about the flower patches they're using as food. Each colony member has a specific role in the colony. Individual members cannot survive by themselves. Bees do their work for the colony, not themselves as an individual. Females are responsible for all cleaning, feeding, nursing, and defense of the hive. Many honey bee colonies began to suddenly die in 2006 for unknown reasons. Some people have speculated that cell phones were the cause of the bee's sudden disappearance, but others are pointing to herbicides and pesticides as the culprits. //<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-no-proof: yes; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msonoproof: yes;">Katie P. // []
 * <span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">Colony **

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//<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">-Stasi O. + Morgan J. //
 * FOOD**

[] The colony’s main source of carbohydrates is the nectar which is stored in the honey stomach of their abdomens. When the bees get back to the hive they regurgitate the nectar and give it to the worker bees, and they spread it evenly for consumption or to be stored in the honey cells. Some bring back water instead of the nectar. The water is used to feed the brood or to dilute the honey so on hot days the honey won’t evaporate. Bees are very dependent on flowers for a lot of their food. The pollen from the flowers is how bees get their proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fat. The fat is important to the development of all larva bees. Bees will transfer pollen from one flower to another, and while doing so they also collect the nectar as an energy source.



<span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">**The comb** <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The comb makes up the interior structure of a beehive <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> It is a thin walled hexagonal structure made of beeswax <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Bees secrete beeswax from glands on the underside of their abdomens <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> A honey bee must eat about 8.4 pounds of honey to produce one pound of wax <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The cells within the comb hold honey and larva <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Combs are built downward from the top of the nest <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Cells for storing honey are at the top <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Pollen storage is next and last is brood cells for workers <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Drone cells are off to the side <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Immature queens are at the bottom or off by themselves <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Immature queen cells are peanut shaped <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Young workers construct the comb <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> A natural nest has about 100,000 cells in half a dozen combs <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 6pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Total average surface area is about 27 square feet <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> //By: Courtney B.//

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">honeycomb (below) bees on honeycomb (right) <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt;"> [] [style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">TEMPERATURE **<span style="color: #666600; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Fewer than 1% of foragers will collect water, which they either give to nurse bees to dilute honey for feeding the brood or spread over the comb when it's too hot. In winter, honeybees don’t become inactive like many other insects. Instead, they create a warm atmosphere and live off the stored honey. They retain this precious heat by allowing only small openings in the nest, both by using plant substances to seal holes and cracks and clustering into a round mass of bees. By doing so, they can keep the temperature of bees at the outermost limits of the cluster above 50°F, the honeybee's lower lethal limit. To maintain such a microclimate, the colony must consume more than two pounds of honey a week throughout the winter, hence the strenuous collection of nectar during the warmer months. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">From late winter to early autumn, bees keep the temperature in the hive's nursery between about 91°F and 97°F to ensure proper development of the young.The average temperature is 93.5°.They rarely allow the temperature to vary more than 2°F in the course of a day.On steamy days, they cool the nest by either fanning their wings or by spreading water on the comb to remove heat through evaporation. <span style="color: #666600; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">[[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/hive.html]

<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: 'Tempus Sans ITC'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themetint: 153;">Types of Bees <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">Leafcutting Bee <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial;">Leafcutter bees are important as pollinators and are native to the western United States. Unlike many species of bees, Leafcutter bees only have a mild sting. They also aren’t an aggressive species. This particular species of bees cut plant leaves. The pieces of leaves are used to make nest cells. Some leafcutter bees are even semi-domesticated so they can pollinate alfalfa seed. But, concern is raised because the bees nest in plant stems and soft wood. The majority of leafcutter bees are around the same size of the honeybee, but they are a darker color and possess lighter bands on the abdomen. Leafcutter bees are solitary and do not form colonies. The adult females dig out their own nesting areas and raise all of their young alone. Adult females can live up to two months and can lie anywhere from 35-40 eggs in this time. Leafcutter bees will cut up any type of leaves, but they prefer rose, green ash, lilac, and Virginia creeper. A large amount of leafcutter bees cutting on a plant can cause significant damage to the plant itself. Some natural enemies of the leafcutter bee are types of parasitic bees and wasps, velvet ants, and certain types of blister beetles. Leafcutter bee larvae have chewing mouthparts. Adults have a more complex version of the larvae’s mouthparts. // Katie P. //

[] []

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msonoproof: yes;">

<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> **Mason Bees** When the males come out of the cocoon, they wait for the females to emerge. After the females emerge from the egg cell, they mate. After mating, the male dies and the female starts stipulating the nest. The //Osmia// prefer to nest in narrow holes or tubes. They do not excavate their own burrows unlike most bees. The females then visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar. This may take many trips to complete the whole provision mass. Once the mass is complete, she backs into the hole and lays an egg on top of the mass. The //Osmia// makes sort of a mud type blockage over the egg and it acts as a dividing wall in between the eggs. This continues until the cavity space is filled. Female eggs are laid in the back of the nest and male eggs are laid towards the front. The nest is plugged up and the bee moves to find another nesting area. By the summer the larva begins spinning a cocoon around itself and enters the pupal stage. Adults mature in either the fall or winter time. Mason bees are considered a wood boring insect. They live in holes that they drill into the wood. They only sting when they are stepped on, or squeezed because they have no honey to protect so therefore no reason to defend themselves. //Osmia// are usually metallic green or blue, though many are blackish. Mason bees are also known as solitary bees. They just like to stay in one place for a certain amount of time and then move to a different location. Mason bees are smaller than Honey bees, but some are the same size or slightly larger. __ [] __ <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Digger bees are fast-flying, ground-nesting bees with velvety fur. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> These are solitary bees and native pollinators that are active early in the season. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> These bees live throughout the world. There are several thousand species, more than 900 in the United States and Canada. Digger bees visit a wide variety of flowers and are important in pollination. They are also called long horned bees. Digger bees range from the size of a honey bee to as large as a bumble bee <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> which is 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and variable in color (mostly shiny metallic or dark, but some with markings of white, yellow or reddish brown). <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> These bees mostly nest in the ground. In some species of females construct a turret, which is a chimney like extension of the nest entrance. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> There is one generation of digger bees per summer and once the adults finish perpetuating the species by laying eggs for the next generation there will be no activity till the following spring. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Some digger bees nest in wood and some are parasites of other bees. Parasitic digger bees do not construct nests. Digger bees display interesting nesting and foraging behavior. Many species nest in dense groups, and swarms of males cruise around the nesting sites searching for females. These males dig a hole into the ground where the female will emerge and then await her arrival. Other males attempt to take over and fights ensue. The largest bee usually wins. One species of digger bees the southeastern blueberry bee specializes on pollinating blueberry plants. It is more efficient at pollinating these plants than honey bees or bumble bees. The females dig nests 0.9 m (3 ft) deep in compacted dune sand. Scientific classification: The digger bees comprise the subfamily Anthophorinae, family Anthophoridae, order Hymenoptera. **<span style="color: #5f497a; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 191;">
 * Digger Bee**

Honey Bees **** Morgan Johnson ** Honey bees are known for producing large amounts of honey and beeswax. They are very social insects and are divided into three groups, workers, queens, and drones. The workers are undeveloped females and they are the least seen group. The queens only lay the eggs. The drones are the males. They are expelled from the hive during the winter months. Throughout the winter, honey bees survive on stored honey and pollen. The queen is responsible for determining the sex of the offspring. The worker bees are responsible for collecting honey and nectar for the colony. There currently are seven recognized species of honey bees. Recently, honey bees are suffering through Colony Collapse Disorder, which is the abrupt disappearance of honey bees. It is not completely known what causes Colony Collapse Disorder, and honey bees continue to die in large masses. This would affect us because we would not receive any honey or wax from the bees. <span style="color: #5f497a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 191;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes; msonoproof: yes; msospacerun: yes;">

<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore; msonoproof: yes;"> 1. [] <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 2. [] <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 3. []



Orchid Bee The orchid bee is one of the most excitingly colored insects, and can be metallic green, blue, purple, gold, or red. It is found in tropical and subtropical regions of the western hemisphere. It has an abnormally long tongue that may be twice as long as the body. The tongue’s purpose is to reach nectar from deep tropical flowers.

Nests are constructed in cavities in wood, in fern roots, in the ground, in bamboo stems, in termite nests, under palm leaves, in crevices, under bridges on rocks, and on roofs of houses.

Classification Kingdom-Animalia Phylum-Arthropoda Class-Insecta Order-Hymenoptera Family- Apidae Genus-Euglossa Species-Viridissma Orchid Bee in flight. Range Tropics. One species is now established in South Florida, and has been recorded for Brownsville on the southern tip of Texas.

More Males are more commonly seen because they can be attracted with artificial fragrances. Since females are not so highly attracted to artificial fragrances, they are seen less often.

The Orchid Bee Life Cycle.

[] [] [|www.bugguide.net] [|http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/bees/orchid_bee//] <span style="color: #666600; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> //<span style="color: #666600; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Brittany G. //

<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dialictus zephru, or better known as a sweat bee, belongs to the family Halictidae, and order Hymenoptera. Sweat bees are attracted to the salts in human perspiration. Most sweat bees are pretty small size being about 3 to 10 mm long. Generally they are black or metallic colored, and some of the bees are a bright green or brassy yellow. There are about 1000 different species of sweat bees in the United States, Canada, and Central America. Different species are often difficult to distinguish form each other. These bees visit a large variety of different plants. They tend to sting only if handled. The life cycle of a sweat be depends greatly on the species. Most of the species will nest in the ground, but some will in wood. The nests usually consist of only one tunnel, and many species will have bees guarding the nest. In many of the sweat bee species the female bee will occupy its nest alone. Sometimes different species will overlap and live together, but the labor will be divided. Usually there is little communication among the adults. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[] //<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Stasi O. //
 * <span style="color: #92cddc; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themetint: 153; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msothemecolor: accent5; msothemetint: 153;">Sweat Bees **

** Bee Nest ** When bees are looking for a new place to make a hive, scout bees checks the place to make sure it meets certain specifications. They build their nests in the hallows of trees. The spot must be big enough that it can hold a volume of six and a half gallons or more. The nest needs to have a hole at the bottom at the nest to help with the removal of waste. The nest should be high off the ground like in trees to protect it from predators. The nest should face south for the warmth. Once bees have found a place to start their nest, they scrape off loose wood and other debris and coat the interior surface with dried tree resin. Then they start making beeswax to build the comb. Bees raise there young in the nest. Bees usually occupy the nests for several years. Honey from traditional hives is extracted by crushing the wax honeycomb to get the honey. There are many types of hives, like mud, clay, and tile. Mud hives are not usually found in America, but mostly in the Asia. Mud hives are long cylinders made of a mixture of unbaked mud, and straw. With mud hives, the keepers would smoke one end to drive the bees to the other end while they harvested honey.

[] [] // Lindsay C. //
 * References **

** Bumble Bee ** Bumblebees are social insects that are characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. One characteristic of the bumble bee is the soft nature of the hair, called pile, which covers the entire body and makes them look fuzzy. Bumblebees do not have ears, but they can feel the vibration of sounds through wood and other materials. The buzzing that comes from bumblebees is caused by the beating of their wings. Bumblebees are typically found in higher latitudes and high altitudes. Bumblebees can regulate their body temperature, through solar radiation, internal mechanisms, and radioactive cooling from the abdomen. Bumblebees form colonies. They are usually much less extensive than those of honey bees. This is due to the small physical size of the nest cavity. A female is responsible for the initial construction and reproduction that happens in the nest. Most mature bumblebee nests will hold fewer than 50 bees. Bumblebee nests may be found within tunnels in the ground made by other animals. Bumblebees sometimes construct a wax canopy over the top of their nest for protection and insulation. Bumblebee nests are first constructed by over-winter queens in the spring. After coming out of hibernation, the queen collects pollen and nectar from flowers and searches for a suitable nest site. The characteristics of the nest site vary among bumblebee species, with some species preferring to nest in underground holes and others in tussock grass or directly on the ground. Once the queen finds a site for the nest, she prepares wax pots to store food and wax cells into which eggs are laid. These eggs then hatch into larvae, which cause the wax cells to expand isometrically into a clump of brood cells. The larva needs to be fed both nectar for carbohydrates and pollen for protein in order to develop. They feed nectar to the larvae by chewing a small hole into the brood cell in which nectar is regurgitated. Larvae are fed pollen by creating pockets of pollen at the base of the brood cell clump from which the larvae can feed themselves. Bumblebees are unable to get food from one bee to another. Larvae progress through four instars, becoming successively larger with each molt. At the end of the fourth instars, the larvae spins silk cocoons under the wax covering the brood cells, changing them into pupal cells. After that the larvae undergoes an intense period of cellular growth and becomes a pupae. These pupae then develop into adult bees, and chew their way out of the silk cocoon. Bees do not leave the colony for at least 24 hours after emerging from their cocoons. The process from egg to adult bee can take as long as five weeks. After the emergence of the first or second group workers, workers take over the task of foraging and the queen spends most of her time laying eggs and caring for larvae. The colony grows larger as males and new queens are produced. New queens and males leave the colony after maturation. Bees visit patches of flowers up to 1-2 kilometers from their colony. They will also visit the same patches of flowers everyday, as long as there is nectar and pollen. While looking for food, bees can reach speeds up to 15m/s. When bees get to a flower, they use their long tongue to get the nectar. Bees get pollen by coming in contact with the anthers of the flowers while collecting nectar. After collecting the nectar and pollen, the bees return to their nest and deposit the harvested nectar and pollen into brood cells, or into wax cells for storage. Bumblebees only store a few days’ worth of food. Queen and worker bumblebees can sting, but their stinger lacks barbs, so they can sting more than once. Bumblebees are usually non-aggressive, but will sting in defense of their nest, or if harmed. [] // Lindsay C. //
 * References **

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honey <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honey is created as food by bees. The worker bees are the ones who collect flower nectar that becomes honey in the hive. They release Nasonov pheromones in the process. These pheromones lead other bees to rich nectar sites by "smell". Honeybees also release Nasonov pheromones at the entrance to the hive, enabling the returning bees to return to the proper hive. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the hive, the bees use their "honey stomachs" to ingest and regurgitate the nectar a number of times until it is partially digested. The bees work together as a group with regurgitation and digestion until the product reaches a desired quality. It’s then stored in honeycomb cells. After the final regurgitation, the honeycomb is kept unsealed. However, the nectar is still high in water content and natural yeasts which would cause the sugars in the nectar to ferment if unchecked. Bees in the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances the evaporation of much of the water from the nectar. The reduction in water raises the sugar concentration and prevents fermentation. Ripe honey, like the stuff removed from the hive by a beekeeper, has a long shelf life and should not ferment if properly sealed. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Our knowledge of the earliest use and importance of honey in historic times comes from archives of the ancient cultural states Babylon, Assyria, Persia, India, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The oldest existing scripts show the fact that bees were already domesticated creatures and honey was extensively used for food, drink, medicines and exclusively for sweetening purposes. Many face creams and lotions contain honey. Honey has a nourishing, bleaching, astringent and antiseptic effect on skin. The noted beautiful hands of the Japanese women that are devoid of all wrinkles is because of to their daily use of fresh honey as a hand lotion. Chinese women use a paste made from crushed orange seeds and honey for pimples and to clear their complexions. They use crushed seeds of peaches or apricots with honey for softening their hands. Honey, glycerine, alcohol and lemon juice or citric acid are the ingredients of most lotions for sunburn. Many skin-soaps contain honey. Honey as a cosmetics remedy has an advantage over cold creams because it does not grow hair. Honey equals even mechanic soaps as a cleanser of hands in efficiency without making the skin rough. <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Helvetica; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">The consumption of honey in itself will greatly improve the color and the texture of the skin. The beautiful complexions of Spanish and Italian women are due not solely to olive oil but also to honey. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds. With respect to carbohydrates, honey is mostly fructose (about 38.5%) and glucose (about 31.0%). This makes it similar to synthetically produced inverted sugar syrup which is approximately 48% fructose, 47% glucose, and 5% sucrose. The rest of honey's carbohydrates include maltose, sucrose and other complex carbohydrates. Honey also contains trace amounts of several vitamins and minerals. Like all nutritive sweeteners, honey is mostly sugars and is not a significant source of vitamins or minerals. Honey contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants. This includes chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamins C, catalase, and pinocembrin. The specific composition of any batch of honey depends on the flowers that are available to the bees that produced the honey. Honey has a density of about 1.36 kilograms per liter. That makes it 36% denser than water. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honey is classified by its floral source. There are also divisions according to packaging and processing used. There are regional honeys as well. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Honey is classified by the floral source of the nectar from which it was made. Honeys can be from specific types of flower nectars, from indeterminate origin, or they can be blended after collection. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Most commercially available honey is blended. This means that it’s a mixture of two or more honeys that differ in floral source, color, flavor, density or geographic origin. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Polyfloral honey is also known as wildflower honey. It’s derived from the nectar of many types of flowers. The taste may vary from year to year, and the aroma and flavor can be more or less intense, depending on which bloomings are available. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Monofloral honey is made primarily from nectar of one type of flower. Different monofloral honeys have a distinctive flavor and color because of differences between their main nectar sorces. To produce monofloral honey, beekeepers keep beehives in areas where the bees have access to only one type of flower. Some typical examples of North American monofloral honeys are clover, orange blossom, sage, tupelo, buckwheat, and sourwood. Typical European examples include thyme, thistle, heather, acacia, dandelion, sunflower, honeysuckle, and varieties from lime and chestnut trees. In North Africa, like Egypt, they have clover, cotton and citrus. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Instead of taking nectar, bees can take honeydew. This is the sweet secretions of aphids or other plant sap-sucking insects. Honeydew honey is very dark brown in color. It has a rich fragrance of stewed fruit or fig jam and is not as sweet as nectar honeys. Germany’s Black Forest is a well known source of honeydew-based honeys. In Greece, pine honey (a type of honeydew honey) constitutes 60-65% of the annual honey production. Honeydew honey is popular in some areas, but in other areas beekeepers have difficulty selling it due to the stronger flavor.
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Floral source **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Blended **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Polyfloral **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Monofloral **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Honeydew honey **

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courtney b.

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;"> Killer bees are actually Africanized Honey Bees, abbreviated AHB. They are European honey bees that have been crossed with bees from Africa which were released in Brazil in the 1950’s. The term “killer bees” refer to the fact that Africanized Honey Bees are much more aggressive than either of its parent genes individually. AHB tend to “swarm” more often than European honey bees as well, which leads to increased exposure of humans to these bees. “Swarming” is when a new queen and followers from a hive leave their colony and set off to find a new nesting site. Once a nesting site is found, AHB become extremely territorial and protective of their hive. When one AHB is antagonized, the rest of the hive is alerted and will swarm the aggressor. What sets AHB attacks and all other bees attacks apart is the level of intensity of the AHB attacks. AHB have been known to sting a victim from 50 to over a thousand times. This amount of poison can be fatal to humans. It tends to be older/younger people and animals that are penned up that prove fatally attacked, as they do not generally have the ability to outrun the swarming hive. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The AHB have found their way into the southwestern United States, and measures are being made to prevent attacks on humans throughout the area. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes;">
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Africanized Honey Bees, or Killer Bees **

<span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes;"> []