HONEY BEES 1 PRACTICE TEST
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(RATED A+)
What was Lorenzo Langstroth's great insight about honey bee nest construction that
allowed him to design a working hive that had movable frames?
A) Bees only build their combs in a North-South orientation. Once Langstroth realized
that correctly oriented hives didn't cause the bees to build excess comb, commercial
beekeeping on a large scale became possible.
B) Bees observe a strict "bee space" between combs, and if the hive is built to keep
frames separated by this "bee space" distance, the bees will build on wooden frames
but won't create extra wax comb that prevents manipulation.
C) Natural bee nests contain wax combs of many different sizes, which the bees use for
various purposes. By building wooden hive boxes that varied in size, the bees had
combs of every size they desired within their "bee space", and so they did not build
additional excess combs that would get in a beekeeper's way.
D) Bees are extremely se - ANSWER B) Bees observe a strict "bee space" between
combs, and if the hive is built to keep frames separated by this "bee space" distance,
the bees will build on wooden frames but won't create extra wax comb that prevents
manipulation.
Humans have been harvesting honey from honey bees for at least 8,000 years, and
possibly for longer than that. How are "honey hunting" and "beekeeping" different?
A) Honey hunting relies on wild/feral colonies of honey bees located in trees or natural
rock formations, while beekeeping involves semi-domesticated honey bees kept in man-
made hive structures.
B) Honey hunting is concerned only with honey production, completely ignoring
beeswax harvesting and pollination services. Meanwhile, beekeeping focuses on
maximizing all possible hive products.
C) Honey hunting and beekeeping are interchangeable terms that describe the same
activities, with one term preferred in the U.S. and the other term used in most of the rest
of the world. - ANSWER A) Honey hunting relies on wild/feral colonies of honey bees
located in trees or natural rock formations, while beekeeping involves semi-
domesticated honey bees kept in man-made hive structures.
What is the "bee space"?
A) The small minimum distance that is strictly maintained between the worker bees and
the queen in a bee colony.
B) The equivalent of social distancing for honey bees! It is the space (9.53 mm or 3/8")
between any two bees in the hive that is maintained in order to limit disease
transmission.
C) The space (9.53 mm or 3/8") in a hive or bee nest through which bees can easily
pass, but that is not so large that they will fill it with wax comb or propolis.
,D) The recommended space that should separate two hives in an apiary so that
foraging bees can recognize their home and not get confused. - ANSWER C) The
space (9.53 mm or 3/8") in a hive or bee nest through which bees can easily pass, but
that is not so large that they will fill it with wax comb or propolis.
Which of the following are reasons why honey bee skeps were phased out of practice?
A) The beekeepers were unable to inspect for pests or diseases
B) Every possible answer is correct
C) The colony had to be killed every season in order to remove the comb for honey -
ANSWER B) Every possible answer is correct
What is the earliest evidence we have about the practice of honey hunting by animals?
A) ~3,500 BCE
B) 5th century
C) ~8,000 BE - ANSWER C) ~8,000 BE
What is the earliest evidence that we have about the practice of keeping bees by
humans (=beekeeping)?
A) 5th century
B) ~3,500 BCE
C) ~350 BCE - ANSWER B) ~3,500 BCE
Bees originated from wasps that abandoned depredation on other insects and adapted
to collect nectar and pollen
A) This is very unlikely to be true
B) This is likely true
C) Bess actually originated from pollen and nectar-collecting butterflies
D) it is the other way around: wasps originated from a kind of bee that abandoned
nectar/pollen collection and became carnivorous - ANSWER B) This is likely true
Why is the Western honey bee Apis mellifera found on all continents (except for the
poles) while the other honey bee species have a much narrower range?
A) Apis mellifera is a native species only in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Europeans spread them further when colonizing the Americas, Australia, and parts of
Asia.
B) Apis mellifera produces a specialized venom that allows it to kill most predator
species, but other honey bee species produce a venom that only causes pain, so they
cannot survive in most ecosystems.
C) Apis mellifera is far superior to all other honey bee species, and so has out-
competed them in every habitat on Earth. - ANSWER A) Apis mellifera is a native
species only in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Europeans spread them further
when colonizing the Americas, Australia, and parts of Asia.
What is the complete, proper scientific name of the Western honey bee?
A) Apis florea Fabr.
B) Apis mellifera L.
, C) Apis dorsata Fabr.
D) Apis mellifera Fabr. - ANSWER B) Apis mellifera L.
In which insect order are honeybees placed?
A) Pteranodon
B) hymenoptera
C) coleoptera
D) diptera
E) lepidoptera - ANSWER B) hymenoptera
Which of the following is a major difference between Apis mellifera and Apis cerana?
A) A. cerana does not make and store honey, only large amounts of beeswax, hence its
name (since cerana comes from the Latin cera meaning "wax".)
B) A. cerana workers are much larger than the A. mellifera workers
C) A. cerana is found in South America whereas A. mellifera is found in Europe and
Africa
D) A. cerana is well adapted to its native ecosystem, carrying adaptations to resist two
major enemies of A. mellifera: Nosema cerana and Varroa destructor - ANSWER D) A.
cerana is well adapted to its native ecosystem, carrying adaptations to resist two major
enemies of A. mellifera: Nosema cerana and Varroa destructor
A major difference between Apis Florea and Apis mellifera is:
A) Workers of A. florea are much larger than workers of A. mellifera
B) A. florea nests can be found in large cavities and often include many wax combs,
while A. mellifera nests are found in small cavities and there is typically a single comb
C) The "dance language", because A. florea executes the waggle dance on a part of the
comb that is horizontal (flat), not vertical as in A. mellifera
D) A. florea workers do not sting, and there is therefore no venom gland in their
abdomen - ANSWER C) The "dance language", because A. florea executes the waggle
dance on a part of the comb that is horizontal (flat), not vertical as in A. mellifera
What is one of the important reasons why Apis dorsata is not kept by beekeepers in
India?
A) Because they do not produce honey, just beeswax
B) Because this honeybee species nests in the open, thus it cannot be kept in a box,
which considerably limits its use as a domesticated species.
C) Because beekeepers in India prefer Apis florea due to the more floral-tasting honey
they produce.
D) Because the workers of A. dorsata are too agressive. In fact, the killer bees found in
South/Central America are hybrids between A. dorsata and A. mellifera. - ANSWER B)
Because this honeybee species nests in the open, thus it cannot be kept in a box, which
considerably limits its use as a domesticated species.
How did the ancient Maya of Mesoamerica use honey bees (Apis mellifera)?
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(RATED A+)
What was Lorenzo Langstroth's great insight about honey bee nest construction that
allowed him to design a working hive that had movable frames?
A) Bees only build their combs in a North-South orientation. Once Langstroth realized
that correctly oriented hives didn't cause the bees to build excess comb, commercial
beekeeping on a large scale became possible.
B) Bees observe a strict "bee space" between combs, and if the hive is built to keep
frames separated by this "bee space" distance, the bees will build on wooden frames
but won't create extra wax comb that prevents manipulation.
C) Natural bee nests contain wax combs of many different sizes, which the bees use for
various purposes. By building wooden hive boxes that varied in size, the bees had
combs of every size they desired within their "bee space", and so they did not build
additional excess combs that would get in a beekeeper's way.
D) Bees are extremely se - ANSWER B) Bees observe a strict "bee space" between
combs, and if the hive is built to keep frames separated by this "bee space" distance,
the bees will build on wooden frames but won't create extra wax comb that prevents
manipulation.
Humans have been harvesting honey from honey bees for at least 8,000 years, and
possibly for longer than that. How are "honey hunting" and "beekeeping" different?
A) Honey hunting relies on wild/feral colonies of honey bees located in trees or natural
rock formations, while beekeeping involves semi-domesticated honey bees kept in man-
made hive structures.
B) Honey hunting is concerned only with honey production, completely ignoring
beeswax harvesting and pollination services. Meanwhile, beekeeping focuses on
maximizing all possible hive products.
C) Honey hunting and beekeeping are interchangeable terms that describe the same
activities, with one term preferred in the U.S. and the other term used in most of the rest
of the world. - ANSWER A) Honey hunting relies on wild/feral colonies of honey bees
located in trees or natural rock formations, while beekeeping involves semi-
domesticated honey bees kept in man-made hive structures.
What is the "bee space"?
A) The small minimum distance that is strictly maintained between the worker bees and
the queen in a bee colony.
B) The equivalent of social distancing for honey bees! It is the space (9.53 mm or 3/8")
between any two bees in the hive that is maintained in order to limit disease
transmission.
C) The space (9.53 mm or 3/8") in a hive or bee nest through which bees can easily
pass, but that is not so large that they will fill it with wax comb or propolis.
,D) The recommended space that should separate two hives in an apiary so that
foraging bees can recognize their home and not get confused. - ANSWER C) The
space (9.53 mm or 3/8") in a hive or bee nest through which bees can easily pass, but
that is not so large that they will fill it with wax comb or propolis.
Which of the following are reasons why honey bee skeps were phased out of practice?
A) The beekeepers were unable to inspect for pests or diseases
B) Every possible answer is correct
C) The colony had to be killed every season in order to remove the comb for honey -
ANSWER B) Every possible answer is correct
What is the earliest evidence we have about the practice of honey hunting by animals?
A) ~3,500 BCE
B) 5th century
C) ~8,000 BE - ANSWER C) ~8,000 BE
What is the earliest evidence that we have about the practice of keeping bees by
humans (=beekeeping)?
A) 5th century
B) ~3,500 BCE
C) ~350 BCE - ANSWER B) ~3,500 BCE
Bees originated from wasps that abandoned depredation on other insects and adapted
to collect nectar and pollen
A) This is very unlikely to be true
B) This is likely true
C) Bess actually originated from pollen and nectar-collecting butterflies
D) it is the other way around: wasps originated from a kind of bee that abandoned
nectar/pollen collection and became carnivorous - ANSWER B) This is likely true
Why is the Western honey bee Apis mellifera found on all continents (except for the
poles) while the other honey bee species have a much narrower range?
A) Apis mellifera is a native species only in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Europeans spread them further when colonizing the Americas, Australia, and parts of
Asia.
B) Apis mellifera produces a specialized venom that allows it to kill most predator
species, but other honey bee species produce a venom that only causes pain, so they
cannot survive in most ecosystems.
C) Apis mellifera is far superior to all other honey bee species, and so has out-
competed them in every habitat on Earth. - ANSWER A) Apis mellifera is a native
species only in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Europeans spread them further
when colonizing the Americas, Australia, and parts of Asia.
What is the complete, proper scientific name of the Western honey bee?
A) Apis florea Fabr.
B) Apis mellifera L.
, C) Apis dorsata Fabr.
D) Apis mellifera Fabr. - ANSWER B) Apis mellifera L.
In which insect order are honeybees placed?
A) Pteranodon
B) hymenoptera
C) coleoptera
D) diptera
E) lepidoptera - ANSWER B) hymenoptera
Which of the following is a major difference between Apis mellifera and Apis cerana?
A) A. cerana does not make and store honey, only large amounts of beeswax, hence its
name (since cerana comes from the Latin cera meaning "wax".)
B) A. cerana workers are much larger than the A. mellifera workers
C) A. cerana is found in South America whereas A. mellifera is found in Europe and
Africa
D) A. cerana is well adapted to its native ecosystem, carrying adaptations to resist two
major enemies of A. mellifera: Nosema cerana and Varroa destructor - ANSWER D) A.
cerana is well adapted to its native ecosystem, carrying adaptations to resist two major
enemies of A. mellifera: Nosema cerana and Varroa destructor
A major difference between Apis Florea and Apis mellifera is:
A) Workers of A. florea are much larger than workers of A. mellifera
B) A. florea nests can be found in large cavities and often include many wax combs,
while A. mellifera nests are found in small cavities and there is typically a single comb
C) The "dance language", because A. florea executes the waggle dance on a part of the
comb that is horizontal (flat), not vertical as in A. mellifera
D) A. florea workers do not sting, and there is therefore no venom gland in their
abdomen - ANSWER C) The "dance language", because A. florea executes the waggle
dance on a part of the comb that is horizontal (flat), not vertical as in A. mellifera
What is one of the important reasons why Apis dorsata is not kept by beekeepers in
India?
A) Because they do not produce honey, just beeswax
B) Because this honeybee species nests in the open, thus it cannot be kept in a box,
which considerably limits its use as a domesticated species.
C) Because beekeepers in India prefer Apis florea due to the more floral-tasting honey
they produce.
D) Because the workers of A. dorsata are too agressive. In fact, the killer bees found in
South/Central America are hybrids between A. dorsata and A. mellifera. - ANSWER B)
Because this honeybee species nests in the open, thus it cannot be kept in a box, which
considerably limits its use as a domesticated species.
How did the ancient Maya of Mesoamerica use honey bees (Apis mellifera)?
