Apiology: The Study of Bees - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 19

Honeybee colonies need water as much as they need nectar and pollen, and they
drink several gallons of water a day. Water is used to dilute honey for brood food
and cool down an overheated hive. It is recommended that beekeepers provide a water
source for their colonies. A shallow tub filled with water and placed near the hive will
keep the bees from visiting a neighbor's swimming pool or sucking water from clothes
hanging out to dry on a laundry line. Placing a few strategic twigs on the water's sur-
face will give the bees something to land on.
As Billy's honeybees sucked up the water in his cistern, I watched them closely and
examined their little bodies.
A NATOMY OF A H ONEYBEE
A honeybee's body is made up of three parts: the head, the midsection or thorax, and
theabdomen.Thebeeiscoveredfromheadtolegswithfinehairthateasilymagnetizes
particles of pollen. Two antennae are attached to a triangular-shaped head. The anten-
nae are equipped with sensory hairs that allow the honeybee to touch, taste, and smell;
these senses are important, since most of the honeybee's work is done inside a dimly lit
beehive.
The Most Popular Types of Honeybees
Honeybees are not native to the United States. Although bees have been in
existence for more than thirty million years, they first arrived on this contin-
ent with colonists during the turn of the century.
German Black Honeybees ( Apis mellifera mellifera ) were most likely the
first bees to arrive in the United States. Although they are thought to be ag-
gressive and slow to build up colonies in the spring.
Italian Honeybees ( Apis mellifera ligustica ) became popular in the United
States because they were very good honey producers and resistant to most
beediseases.OriginatinginsouthernItaly,theyarenowthemostcommonof
all honeybee species in the United States. They are golden to reddish brown
in color. They tend to rob other hives while eating their own stored honey
quickly.
CarniolanHoneybees ( Apis mellifera carnica ), from the Austrian Alps and
the Danube Valley, are the second most popular bees among U.S. beekeep-