MASTER BEEKEEPER PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (GRADED
A+)
True - ANSWER-True or False
Absconding is a common response to SHB for Africanized honey bees, and less so for
European honey bees.
True - ANSWER-True or False
Africanized honey bees coexist with varroa mites better than the European honey bees.
African Honey Bee - ANSWER-Do the following characteristics describe the colony
growth, development times and movement of the African Honey Bee or the European
Honey Bee?
*Worker lifespan
(summer) is 12-18 days
*Colony population size is 6,000 to 8,000 workers
*Queen development time is 14 - 15 days
*Worker development time is 18.5 days
*Average swarms per year is 6 to 12
*% of colonies undergoing seasonal absconding is 30 up to 100%
European Honey Bee - ANSWER-Do the following characteristics describe the colony
growth, development times and movement of the African Honey Bee or the European
Honey Bee?
*Worker lifespan (summer) is 20-35 days
*Colony population is 18,000 to 20,000 workers
*Queen development time is 15-16 days
*Worker development time is 21 days
*Average swarms per year is 1 to 3
,*% of colonies undergoing seasonal absconding is 0%
African Honey Bee - ANSWER-The Foraging Characteristics and Colony Defense
Behavior described here best matches the African Honey Bee or the European Honey
Bee ?
Foraging emphasis is on the collection of pollen
Average foraging distance is smaller
Colony defensive reaction time is 1 to 5 seconds
Stings per minute average about 80
Alarm pheromone production is higher
European Honey Bee - ANSWER-The Foraging Characteristics and Colony Defense
Behavior described here best matches the African Honey Bee or the European Honey
Bee ?
Foraging emphasis is on the collection of nectar
Average foraging distance is further
Colony defensive reaction time is over 10 seconds
Stings per minute average about 10
Alarm pheromone productions is lower
African Honey Bees - ANSWER-The following nest characteristics and traits describe
the African Honey Bee or the European Honey Bee?
Equal use of tree and ground cavities for nest
The cavity entrance is top-located and south-facing
The nest cavity is about 17 liters
The comb area is generally less
The % of area that is brood comb is about 50 to 80%
The % of area that is food comb is about 16-25%
Exposed comb nests are common
, European Honey Bees - ANSWER-The following nest characteristics and traits describe
the African Honey Bee or the European Honey Bee?
Most often hollow trees; less often ground cavities for nest
The cavity entrance is bottom located and south-facing
The nest cavity is about 45 liters
The comb area is generally much greater
The % of area that is brood comb is about 25%
The % of area that is food comb is about 55%
Exposed comb nests are rare
False - ANSWER-True or False?
A honey extractor uses gravitational force to spin the honey from the cells?
True - ANSWER-True or False?
Embedded wires placed in foundation helps to reduce spotty brood pattern.
False - ANSWER-True or False?
Any honey that has been adulterated; including but not limited to those made from
honey dew, cane, or high fructose syrups, is said to be "extrafloral".
True - ANSWER-True or False?
Male varroa mites are not parasitic.
False - ANSWER-True or False?
The "Miller Method" of queen rearing involves grafting larvae of the right age into
special queen cell cups
True - ANSWER-True or False?
The "Doolittle Method" of queen rearing involves grafting larvae of the right age into
special queen cell cups.
True - ANSWER-True or False?
A pair of workers (honeybees), from drones of different queens, would have only their
mother queen in common.
These workers share on average 25% of their genes by descent. They are HALF
SISTERS, and are members of different subfamilies
True - ANSWER-True or False?
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (GRADED
A+)
True - ANSWER-True or False
Absconding is a common response to SHB for Africanized honey bees, and less so for
European honey bees.
True - ANSWER-True or False
Africanized honey bees coexist with varroa mites better than the European honey bees.
African Honey Bee - ANSWER-Do the following characteristics describe the colony
growth, development times and movement of the African Honey Bee or the European
Honey Bee?
*Worker lifespan
(summer) is 12-18 days
*Colony population size is 6,000 to 8,000 workers
*Queen development time is 14 - 15 days
*Worker development time is 18.5 days
*Average swarms per year is 6 to 12
*% of colonies undergoing seasonal absconding is 30 up to 100%
European Honey Bee - ANSWER-Do the following characteristics describe the colony
growth, development times and movement of the African Honey Bee or the European
Honey Bee?
*Worker lifespan (summer) is 20-35 days
*Colony population is 18,000 to 20,000 workers
*Queen development time is 15-16 days
*Worker development time is 21 days
*Average swarms per year is 1 to 3
,*% of colonies undergoing seasonal absconding is 0%
African Honey Bee - ANSWER-The Foraging Characteristics and Colony Defense
Behavior described here best matches the African Honey Bee or the European Honey
Bee ?
Foraging emphasis is on the collection of pollen
Average foraging distance is smaller
Colony defensive reaction time is 1 to 5 seconds
Stings per minute average about 80
Alarm pheromone production is higher
European Honey Bee - ANSWER-The Foraging Characteristics and Colony Defense
Behavior described here best matches the African Honey Bee or the European Honey
Bee ?
Foraging emphasis is on the collection of nectar
Average foraging distance is further
Colony defensive reaction time is over 10 seconds
Stings per minute average about 10
Alarm pheromone productions is lower
African Honey Bees - ANSWER-The following nest characteristics and traits describe
the African Honey Bee or the European Honey Bee?
Equal use of tree and ground cavities for nest
The cavity entrance is top-located and south-facing
The nest cavity is about 17 liters
The comb area is generally less
The % of area that is brood comb is about 50 to 80%
The % of area that is food comb is about 16-25%
Exposed comb nests are common
, European Honey Bees - ANSWER-The following nest characteristics and traits describe
the African Honey Bee or the European Honey Bee?
Most often hollow trees; less often ground cavities for nest
The cavity entrance is bottom located and south-facing
The nest cavity is about 45 liters
The comb area is generally much greater
The % of area that is brood comb is about 25%
The % of area that is food comb is about 55%
Exposed comb nests are rare
False - ANSWER-True or False?
A honey extractor uses gravitational force to spin the honey from the cells?
True - ANSWER-True or False?
Embedded wires placed in foundation helps to reduce spotty brood pattern.
False - ANSWER-True or False?
Any honey that has been adulterated; including but not limited to those made from
honey dew, cane, or high fructose syrups, is said to be "extrafloral".
True - ANSWER-True or False?
Male varroa mites are not parasitic.
False - ANSWER-True or False?
The "Miller Method" of queen rearing involves grafting larvae of the right age into
special queen cell cups
True - ANSWER-True or False?
The "Doolittle Method" of queen rearing involves grafting larvae of the right age into
special queen cell cups.
True - ANSWER-True or False?
A pair of workers (honeybees), from drones of different queens, would have only their
mother queen in common.
These workers share on average 25% of their genes by descent. They are HALF
SISTERS, and are members of different subfamilies
True - ANSWER-True or False?
