Importance of Honeybees - ANSWER - Most important managed species for crop pollination
- Adaptable to a wide range of climatic conditions
- Tolerant to human management
- Generalists/polylectic
- Pollination is valued at $12 billion
Langstroth Hive - ANSWER Invented by Reverend Langstroth in 1851. Contains moveable frames spaced
¼ inches apart. Patented design
economically important services and goods honeybees are used to perform and produce - ANSWER -
Natural sweetener: Sugar Syrup, Pollen patties
- Multiple health benefits (reduction in allergies)
Queen Bees - ANSWER The special one; Female. Arguably the most important individual. Sole
reproductive female. Primary source of colony cohesion. Long-Living
Worker Bees - ANSWER Tens of thousands; Female; Duties are to manipulate wax, cap brood, attend the
queen, trophallaxis (oral food exchange), grooming, defense, foraging, and decision making
Drone Bees - ANSWER Several hundreds; male; Duties are to eat and mate
Caste - ANSWER Simultaneous polymorphism or polyethism within the same sex; Reproductive caste
Basic Bee Colony Structure - ANSWER 1. Queen
2. Worker
,3. Drones
4. Matures and Immatures
5. Caste
What are some of the factors that are contributing to decline in colony health? - ANSWER 1. Limitations
for brood rearing: temperature (above 40 degrees), environment (availability of pollen and nectar), and
colony (sufficient stores).
2. Management - Pest control and nutrition
3. Parasites (Bacteria, fungi, mites, viruses)
4. Environment (pesticides, climate change, forage)
Importance of native bees - ANSWER - Most are solitary, but vary in sociality
- Over 75% of all flowering plants require animal pollen
87 to 124 main crops used for human consumption depend on pollinators
- $3 billion worth of US pollination services provided by native bees
- Pollinate many crops more effectively than honeybees
- Forage at different times and varying weather conditions
Different Levels of Sociality - ANSWER 1. Solitary
2. Social
Solitary Sociality - ANSWER Most are univoltine; each female constructs and provisions nest without
help from others; live for about a year; Tend to emerge when favorite plants are flowers; go through
diapause
Social Sociality - ANSWER are multivoltine with each generation active for many months; can have
annual life cycles or perennial life cycles; Range from subsocial to eusocial.
Two types of Social Sociality - ANSWER Subsocial and Eusocial
, Subsocial - ANSWER No common nest site; one adult female protects and feeds offspring progressively;
no division of labor; 1 generation; all reproductive can survive on their own
Why are native bee populations declining? - ANSWER - Habitat fragmentation
- Agricultural practices
- Exotic species
- Disease
What can we do to help bees survive? - ANSWER 1. Habitat restoration: Growing right mix of flowers
with overlapping bloom periods
2. Providing nesting sites
3. Manage responsibly: Reduce pesticides, apply only when serious pest problem, apply when bees are
not active/flowers are not in bloom; plant a succession of flowering plants.
Why are so many different bees needed for pollination? - ANSWER - Having multiple pollinators provide
"crop insurance"
- Different species are active during different times of the year
What co-adaptations have evolved between bees and flowers? - ANSWER 1. Synchrony in time and
space
2. Plants provide attractive cues and rewards
3. Pollinators have morphological adaptions to collect and transport pollen
Pollinators have some degree of flower constantly or flower fidelity
How do you effectively use trap crops? - ANSWER Remember, Insects have differential host preference
- Insect may feed and reproduce in preferred host
- Adaptable to a wide range of climatic conditions
- Tolerant to human management
- Generalists/polylectic
- Pollination is valued at $12 billion
Langstroth Hive - ANSWER Invented by Reverend Langstroth in 1851. Contains moveable frames spaced
¼ inches apart. Patented design
economically important services and goods honeybees are used to perform and produce - ANSWER -
Natural sweetener: Sugar Syrup, Pollen patties
- Multiple health benefits (reduction in allergies)
Queen Bees - ANSWER The special one; Female. Arguably the most important individual. Sole
reproductive female. Primary source of colony cohesion. Long-Living
Worker Bees - ANSWER Tens of thousands; Female; Duties are to manipulate wax, cap brood, attend the
queen, trophallaxis (oral food exchange), grooming, defense, foraging, and decision making
Drone Bees - ANSWER Several hundreds; male; Duties are to eat and mate
Caste - ANSWER Simultaneous polymorphism or polyethism within the same sex; Reproductive caste
Basic Bee Colony Structure - ANSWER 1. Queen
2. Worker
,3. Drones
4. Matures and Immatures
5. Caste
What are some of the factors that are contributing to decline in colony health? - ANSWER 1. Limitations
for brood rearing: temperature (above 40 degrees), environment (availability of pollen and nectar), and
colony (sufficient stores).
2. Management - Pest control and nutrition
3. Parasites (Bacteria, fungi, mites, viruses)
4. Environment (pesticides, climate change, forage)
Importance of native bees - ANSWER - Most are solitary, but vary in sociality
- Over 75% of all flowering plants require animal pollen
87 to 124 main crops used for human consumption depend on pollinators
- $3 billion worth of US pollination services provided by native bees
- Pollinate many crops more effectively than honeybees
- Forage at different times and varying weather conditions
Different Levels of Sociality - ANSWER 1. Solitary
2. Social
Solitary Sociality - ANSWER Most are univoltine; each female constructs and provisions nest without
help from others; live for about a year; Tend to emerge when favorite plants are flowers; go through
diapause
Social Sociality - ANSWER are multivoltine with each generation active for many months; can have
annual life cycles or perennial life cycles; Range from subsocial to eusocial.
Two types of Social Sociality - ANSWER Subsocial and Eusocial
, Subsocial - ANSWER No common nest site; one adult female protects and feeds offspring progressively;
no division of labor; 1 generation; all reproductive can survive on their own
Why are native bee populations declining? - ANSWER - Habitat fragmentation
- Agricultural practices
- Exotic species
- Disease
What can we do to help bees survive? - ANSWER 1. Habitat restoration: Growing right mix of flowers
with overlapping bloom periods
2. Providing nesting sites
3. Manage responsibly: Reduce pesticides, apply only when serious pest problem, apply when bees are
not active/flowers are not in bloom; plant a succession of flowering plants.
Why are so many different bees needed for pollination? - ANSWER - Having multiple pollinators provide
"crop insurance"
- Different species are active during different times of the year
What co-adaptations have evolved between bees and flowers? - ANSWER 1. Synchrony in time and
space
2. Plants provide attractive cues and rewards
3. Pollinators have morphological adaptions to collect and transport pollen
Pollinators have some degree of flower constantly or flower fidelity
How do you effectively use trap crops? - ANSWER Remember, Insects have differential host preference
- Insect may feed and reproduce in preferred host
