Bees in General
What are bees?
How many species of bees are there?
Where do bees live?
What do bees eat?
Do all bees sting?
Honeybees
Do they sting?
What do I do if I get stung?
Does a honeybee die after it stings you?
What is the deal with bees and honey?
What kind of honeybees live in a hive?
How are honeybees good for us?
How much honey does a honeybee gather in it's lifetime?
How far will a honeybee fly to gather nectar and pollen?
How many honeybees are in a colony?
Do honeybees pollinate all plants?
How many eggs does a queen lay?
Is honey, propolis, pollen, and royal jelly good for your health?
How does a honeybee tell other honeybees about the location of nectar and pollen?
Are honeybees cold blooded?
How fast does a honeybee fly?
How many wings do honeybees have?
Do honeybees sleep?
Do honeybees see in color?
How many bones do bees have?
How long have humans been keeping bees?
Are honeybees native to the American continent?
What are Africanized Honeybees?
I have some bees living on my property what do I do?
Honey Bee Health Issues
What is CCD?
What is American Foul Brood(AFB)?
What are Varroa mites?
What are Tracheal Mites?
What are Small Hive Beetles(SHB)?
What are wax moths?
What is Nosema?
What is Stonebrood?
What is Chaulkbrood?
What is European Foul Brood?
What is Parafoulbrood?
What is Sacbrood?
Mice in Hives?
Do Bears really eat honey?
Skunks,Possums, Raccoons and your hive?
The Palm Beach County Beekeepers
What is the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association?
How do I contact the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association?
When and where do the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association meet?
What are bees?
Bees are flying insects. Bees are closely related to wasps and ants.
How many species of bees are there?
Almost 20,000 different species of bees.
Where do bees live?
Everywhere but Antarctica.
What do bees eat?
Most bees eat pollen and/or nectar depending on the species. Stingless bees (Vulture Bees) eat
carrion.
Do all bees sting?
No, some bite, some sting, some do neither.
Do they sting?
Yes, but only if they feel threatened. However the bee sting tends to get a bit of a bad wrap.
Unless you are allergic, the pain will pass. Unless you are allergic it would take over 500
stings to kill a child and over a thousand to kill an adult.
What do I do if I get stung?
Remove the stinger as soon as possible. Unless the stinger is in your eye you can remove the stinger
by scraping it off with a nail file or some other flat object. The normal reaction to stings is some
swelling and itching. The stings do hurt but smashing your finger in the door hurts more.
Stings to the eye should be removed by a doctor.
1. Do not attempt to remove the stinger.
2. Do not press, touch, or rub the eye.
3. Put a cup or something over the eye that will not touch the eye. And hold it in place with some form of tape.
4. Get medical help.
Does a honeybee die after it stings you?
Yes, if the stinger gets in your skin or clothes when the bee flies off it will rip out it's insides. The bee may
not die right away, but it will die. The stinger is barbed and gets lodged in muscle bound flesh and woven fabrics.
Note however if you are another insect you can get stung multiple times by a honeybee. The flesh of insects does not
cause the honeybee to lose it's stinger. Aren't you glad your not a bug?
What is the deal with bees and honey?
Honeybees make honey. Not all species of bees make honey, but honeybees make honey.
Honeybees make honey by going to plants and collecting nectar. They store the nectar in a second stomach. When the
honeybee flies back to the hive they spit up the nectar and the other worker bees in the hive take the nectar and
mix it with enzymes. The by product of the nectar and enzymes is raw honey. The bees place it in the comb
and when the water content is low the bees cap the comb cells. The bees produce honey so they can eat it when
nectar in flowers is low. During winter when flowering plants are minimal the bees will eat the honey stored in the
comb.
What kind of honeybees live in a hive?
There are three types of bees.
Worker bees: these are sterile females. Worker bees do all the work. They build comb, gather nectar and pollen,
and protect the hive and the queen. Worker bees usually live about 6 weeks. In winter in northern parts that get
snow and long term cold, workers can live up to six months.
Drones: are male bees. Drones only purpose is to find unmated queens and mate with her. The act of mating will
kill the drone. Drones can live up to a year.
The Queen: The fertile female who lays the eggs. The queen is formed by workers feeding a worker larvae a diet
of royal jelly. This will cause a change in the larvae. Shortly after the young queen emerges from
her comb, which is know as a queen cell, she will go on a mating flight. She will mate with many drone bees who
will have flown from miles around to mate with her. The mating will cause sperm sacs to be stored inside her
abdomen. She will store multiple sacs for the rest of her life. The queen will eventually start to lay eggs.
When the queen starts laying eggs she will fertilize them with sperm from the sperm sacs she has stored. The
fertilized egg will become a worker. If the queen chooses she can lay an unfertilized egg which will become a
drone.The queen can live up to five years.
How are honeybees good for us?
Honeybees are pollinators. They help farmers grow fruits and vegetables which end up in the grocery stores.
Almost 1/3 of what we eat is helped by honeybees. Honeybees also make honey,propolis,beeswax, and gather pollen.
Honey: A viscous liquid made by bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey is sweeter than sugar. Honey does not
spoil. You can eat honey raw or you can cook with it.
Propolis: is a waxy substance made by bees that have gathered tree saps, resins, or vegetable balsams.
Propolis is said to have medicinal value as an antibiotic, treatment for minor burns, and as anti fungal treatment.
These treatment ideas have not been medically proven so check with a doctor first. Propolis is also used as a
varnish for wooden musical instruments such as violins.
Beeswax: Bees when they make the comb make it out of beeswax. Beeswax is used to make candles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
polishing agents, and lubricants. It is also used as a coating for certain cheeses to protect them as they age.
Honeybees make beeswax by secreting the wax from glands under their abdomen.
Pollen: are small grains that grow on flowers. The pollen helps the plants reproduce. Bees gather and spread pollen
from plant to plant. Bees then take extra pollen back to the hive. Pollen may have medicinal values.
How much honey does a honeybee gather in it's lifetime?
A single worker bee makes 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey(.6 grams) in it's lifetime.
How far will a honeybee fly to gather nectar and pollen?
Bees generally try to find food close to the hive. However there have been reports of honeybees flying up to 7.5 miles/12 km.
many people consider the normal range to be 1.5 miles / 2.41 km but recent research is changing that number.
How many honeybees are in a colony?
An average beehive colony will have around 50,000 honeybees.
Do honeybees pollinate all plants?
No, some plants are self pollinating and some plants, like orchids, prefer other insects. Tomatoes do better with
Bumblebees.
How many eggs does a queen lay?
The queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs a day.
Is honey, propolis, pollen, and royal jelly good for your health?
Honey is considered an antibacterial agent, and it can help people with pollen allergies. Honey contains
vitamin B6 , thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. Minerals such as calcium, copper, iron,
magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. It contains many other beneficial substances.
Propolis contains phenols and flavonoids that have antibacterial properties. It is also used in mouth-washes
and sore throat lozenges. Pollen, Propolis, and Royal Jelly may have health benefits but have not been scientifically
tested. Ask your doctor first.
How does a honeybee tell other honeybees about the location of nectar and pollen?
Honeybees tell other honeybees about a good nectar or pollen location with something know as a bee dance. There are
two types of dances, a round dance, and a waggle dance. The round dance is used when food is located less than 80 meters from the hive.
The waggle dance is used when the food source in more than 80 meters away from the hive.
Are honeybees cold blooded?
Yes. They are know as poikilothermic which means their temperature is based on their surrounding environment. How ever there is a big
exception in noting this. bees vibrate their bodies to generate heat. And a bee in flight can have a body temperature of 130F/54.4C.
A solitary caught in a cold rain can end up unable to move because the surrounding temperature has become so cold that it can't
generate enough heat. In a colony, honeybees keep the temperature around 98F/37C.
How fast does a honeybee fly?
Approximately 15 mph/ 24 kph
How many wings do honeybees have?
Honeybees have four wings.
Do honeybees sleep?
Yes, they work approximately 16 hours and sleep or rest the balance.
Do honeybees see in color?
Yes, however their range of colors is different from ours. Honeybees cannot see the color red. However Honeybees see into the
ultraviolet range. A range humans cannot see into.
How many bones do bees have?
Bees have an exoskeleton, not internal bones. The exoskeleton is like in other insects such beetles and ants.
How long have humans been keeping bees?
According to some cave wall paintings, humans have been keeping bees since around 13,000 B.C.. Egyptians have well documented
setups of keeping bees.
Are honeybees native to the American continent?
No, they were imported by European settlers. Native Indians referred to them as white man's flies.
What are Africianized Bees?
Africianized Honeybees, Killer bees, or AHBs, are a very aggressive honeybee. They are not more venomous than standard European
honeybees. They however attack in greater numbers when they perceive a threat. The best way to deal with AHBs or any other bee is
to avoid them. Honeybees out foraging for honey even AHBs are not going to bother you. However disturbing the nest results in
far more bees attacking. The best thing to do if you perceive a problem is to run. Get as far away as fast as possible.
Also you cannot tell AHBs from standard honeybees just by looking at them. The only way you can tell if they are AHBs is through a
DNA test.
I have some bees living on my property what do I do?
Unless there is a problem, enjoy your new neighbors. The honeybees serve a purpose. If there is a problem you can call
a professional bee remover or an exterminator. If you live in Palm Beach County, you can contact the PBC beekeepers
association and we will try to connect you with a beekeeper or a exterminator.
What is CCD?
CCD is also known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Refers to a recent issue with bees where the bees slowly vanish from the hive.
There is no know cause or cure at the is stage. For more detailed information please go to The Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium.
What is American Foul Brood(AFB)?
American Foul Brood (aka AFB)is a spore that exists in almost every hive. The issue for the hive happens when a young larva ingests the spore. Where it then propagates in the stomach of the larvae. The larvae usually dies
in the capped cell but by that time millions of spores have propagated. The bacteria is know as Paenibacillus larvae (formerly Bacillus larvae). The bacteria is highly resistant and highly contagious. Once the brood in a hive
contaminated with AFB, the hive either must be destroyed or irradiated.
What are Varroa mites?
Varroa Mites (V. Destructor sometimes mistakenly called V. Jacobsoni) are a parasitic mite (lick a tick) that sucks the body fluids of the honey bee. Varroa in small numbers exist in every hive. When a hive becomes weak Varroa can overwhelm it. Varroa first came into the US in 1987.
What are Tracheal Mites?
Tracheal Mites aka Acarine Mites. These mites are very tiny and infect the airways of the honeybee. This mite virtually destroyed beekeeping in the British Isles. The Buckfast bee was created to combat this issue. Today Tracheal Mites are also treated by giving grease patties to hives.
What are Small Hive Beetles(SHB)?
A small black beetle that lives in hives. Small hive beetle larvae can ruin a hive.
What are wax moths?
Wax moth affect hives when the larvae go in and chew the wax and brood in order to propagate.
Wax moth will destroy a weak hive.
What is Nosema?
Nosema (Nosema apis), a parasite that affects the intestines of bees. Nosema is generally only a problem when bees cannot go on cleansing flights. So basically the only symptom of Nosema disease is dysentery. However bees can have dysentery without having Nosema disease.
What is Stonebrood?
Stonebrood is a fungus infection in a hive that turns larvae black after death. The hive will need a break in the brood cycle and a requeening generally to deal with Stonebrood.
What is Chaulkbrood?
Chaulkbrood is a fungus that usually affects a stressed out hive. The brood looks mummified. The hive usually needs more ventilation when infected with Chaulkbrood.
What is European Foulbrood?
Melissococcus pluton aka European Foulbrood. Usually affects a stressed out hive. Not as contagious as AFB. It also affects bee larvae. The larvae turn brown and their trachea is even darker brown. Usually treated by requeen or a break in the brood cycle.
What is Parafoulbrood?
Bacillus para-alvei symptoms are similar to EFB. Requires requeening or a break in the brood cycle.
What is Sacbrood?
Symptoms are spotty brood patterns. Usually clears it self up in the spring if not requeening may be needed.
Mice in Hives?
Mice can move into a hive during a rainstorm. Use either #4 hardwire cloth on the entrance or a top entrance.
Do Bears really eat honey?
Bears actually eat bee larvae but don't mind honey either. You must use an electric fence to prevent bears from getting into hives.
Skunks, Possums, and Raccoons and your hive?
These critters can also get into your hives. Use either top entrances or put a raw egg in the shell with the end removed and three crushed aspirin in it with the other end of the egg buried in the ground in front of the hive(s) being harassed.
What is the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association?
The Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association is a organization that works with local beekeepers in Palm Beach County, FL.
The organization has been around since 1974. We are part of the University of Florida cooperative extension and the state of
Florida beekeepers association. The organization works on promoting education about bees and beekeeping. If you
want bees or are just interested in bees and live in Palm Beach County this is the place for you.
How do I contact the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association?
You can email us by going to the Contact Us page or you can call the president at
561 686 6557.
When and where do the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association meet?
The P.B.C. beekeepers association meets the first Friday of every month at the Mounts Botanical Garden Cooperative Extension
building. The address is 531 N. Military Trail. West Palm Beach, FL. 33415.