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Life Cycle of Bees

2/21/14. Life Cycle of Bees. Initiation of Hive. Bees have yearly cycle Winter die-off Become active in spring Peak late summer/early fall Queens mate If virgin, queen mates and searches for hive site once fed enough Builds wax honeypot , fills with pollen and honey, and starts colony.

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Life Cycle of Bees

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  1. 2/21/14 Life Cycle of Bees

  2. Initiation of Hive • Bees have yearly cycle • Winter die-off • Become active in spring • Peak late summer/early fall • Queens mate • If virgin, queen mates and searches for hive site once fed enough • Builds wax honeypot, fills with pollen and honey, and starts colony

  3. Finding/Caring for the Queen • Usually found on or near frames containing eggs • Attendants/retinue • Queen excluder • Don’t leave super open for too long • Make sure queen is present and laying

  4. Brooding • Eggs are laid near the honeypot in a pollen ball • Broods over them until hatching • About 4 days

  5. Grubs/Pupae • Eat pollen • Not too much else • Then -> cocoon • Silk + poop • After about 5 weeks, adult bees!

  6. Workers • Female • Differentiate various tasks • Hive building/maintenance • Foraging • Guarding • Workers live for about 4 weeks • But do a lot in the meantime

  7. Laying Males • Once colony is up and running, queen starts laying males • Unfertilized eggs • Once queen starts laying males, she lays no more workers • Only queens and drones -> sign of the end phase of the colony • Due to switching on/off of pheromones, workers ovaries develop and can lay males

  8. Role of Males • Really, not too much • Mating • Incubate young? • Once they leave the nest, they are gone for good

  9. Laying Queens • Caste determination • Pheromones • If receives no worker pheromones and enough food, emerges from final pupal stage as queen • Just continuation of worker development • Laid during emergency, supercedure, or swarming

  10. Mating • Queens emerge after males, go forage • Attracted by chemical secreted by male • Patrol circuits • Waits for suitable partner • Queens mate only once

  11. Queen Hibernation • Finds spot after mating • Stores up on nectar to survive the winter • Honey Stomach • Hibernates through winter • Glycerol as anti-freeze • Can be 6-9 months • Colonies also overwinter • Bee ball

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