Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Chapter 13 The Honey Bee Industry
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Importance of Honeybees Although an insect, important agricultural animal –Americans consume approximately 300 million pounds of honey annually –Value of annual U.S. honey production estimated at approximately $200 million –Total value each year more than $14 billion (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Importance of Honeybees Role of bees in pollination may make them the most important of all agricultural animals
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Pollination Many crops would die without pollinating help from bees –Flowers produce seed –Producers seek seed or surrounding flower Honeybees particularly adept at pollinating Fruit growers hire beekeepers to bring bees to blooming trees
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bees as Social Insects Live in very ordered society Each bee has job and works with other bees in hive Each colony has three types of bees: –Queen –Drone –Worker
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Role of the Queen Only exists to lay eggs for hive –Lays 1,500 eggs per day 200,000 eggs per year –Eggs become workers Must continually produce and grow brood (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Role of the Queen Larger and more slender than other bees Death of queen or overcrowding will cause bees to produce new queen
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Role of the Drone Male bees whose sole purpose is to mate with queen –Larger than worker bees –Do no work –Lack stingers Die upon mating (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Role of the Drone Removed from hive if fail to mate New drones hatch the next spring
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Role of the Worker Sterile females –Majority of bees in colony –Usually approximately 50,000 Most bring nectar and pollen to hive Some care for queen and brood and clean hive –Keep temperature constant by flapping wings –Evaporate moisture from nectar (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Role of the Worker Scout bees bring back nectar samples Other workers serve as guard bees
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Commercial Honey Production Harvesting destroyed early hives Solution: –Removable frames Allow harvesting without hive disruption “Bee space” between frames critical Full supers removed and replaced Honey removed and processed (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Commercial Honey Production Bees sold in two main ways: –Packages of two or three pounds –Bee nucleus
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Breeding Bees Long been selectively bred Certain characteristics make bees easy to keep and producing a lot of honey: –Docile –Not prone to swarming –Disease and parasite resistant –Cold weather tolerant –Ability to raise many young
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bee Breeds Italian Carniolan Caucasian German Russian African
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Producing New Queens Produced commercially in nukes (small hives) –Workers create many new queens –First to emerge kills others New queens artificially inseminated to ensure desired genetics (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Producing New Queens Beekeepers receive queens in small cages Beekeepers replace queens every one to two years
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bee Parasites Susceptible to number of parasites and diseases Two parasitic mites threaten population: –Tracheal Restrict breathing and flying ability –Varroa Cause blood loss and disease susceptibility (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bee Parasites Treatments: –Medications in fall and spring –Resistant breeds
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Hive Collapse Hive or colony collapse causes sudden death of entire bee hive Problem has reached serious proportions Cause has so far eluded scientists (continued)
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Hive Collapse Potential causes being researched: –Pathogens –Parasites –Environmental factors
Copyright © 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Summary Although the smallest, honeybee may be most important agricultural animal Pollination habits help entire plant industry Bees are complex social insects –Intriguing and fun Honey adds to economy and food supply