BEE BIOLOGY
What are the 4 stages of a bee’s life cycle?
Egg, larva, pupa, adult
What is the first job of a young worker bee?
Cleaning hive cells
What is the waggle dance used for?
To show other bees the direction and distance to food
What is pollination?
The transfer of pollen from one flower to another to help plants reproduce
What year were African honey bees brought to Brazil?
1956
What does the queen bee do all day?
Lays eggs or release pheromones to control hive behavior
Name two types of worker bees.
Nurse bees, forager bees (others include guard bees, undertaker bees, fan bees, etc.)
Name one way bees share information besides dancing.
Pheromones or trophallaxis
Name 3 foods we would lose without bees.
Mostly any fruits or vegetables as well as meats
Why did Brazilian scientists bring African bees from Tanzania?
To increase honey production by crossbreeding them with European bees for tropical adaptation.
What is the drone bee’s only job?
To mate with a queen
What do undertaker bees do?
Remove dead bees from the hive
How do bees warn the hive of threats?
Using pheromone communication to send chemical signals to each other
Who are more effective pollinators? Birds, bees, or butterflies?
Bees
What nickname was unfairly given to Africanized honey bees and why?
“Killer bees” because they were more defensive, not actually more deadly.
What is the average lifespan of a queen bee compared to a worker bee?
Queen bee: 3 to 5 years
Worker bee: around 5–6 weeks during summer
What job do worker bees take on after day 21?
Foraging for nectar, pollen, and water
What is trophallaxis?
Bees exchanging food mouth-to-mouth, also sharing information
In what part of the world do some farmers hand-pollinate plants due to the decline in bees?
Parts of china
What are two things Africanized bees and enslaved Africans in America have in common?
Both were brought to work under control; both resisted and adapted to survive.
What are the three castes in a bee hive, and which one is always female and does most of the work?
Queen, drone, and worker the worker is always female and does most of the hive’s tasks.
Which worker bee keeps the hive cool?
Fanner bee
Why do bees vibrate?
To perform task
What might happen to food prices without bees?
Prices would rise due to lower crop yields and food shortages
How does labeling someone or something “aggressive” hide their real strengths?How does labeling someone or something “aggressive” hide their real strengths?
It distracts from their resilience and power, and can justify mistreatment — like with Africanized bees and Black people resisting oppression.