Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 2
About Bees
Overview
Your honey bee colony follows a predictable cycle over the course of an entire season.
To successfully manage it, you need a mental picture of what should be happening
throughout the year, to help you time your visits, have the right equipment ready, and
prevent problems.
You should also be familiar with the individuals within the colony. It is vital to under-
stand the queen, the workers, and the drones, as well as how these individuals interact
with each other, how they act and react as a group, and how they respond to their envir-
onment. Recognizing any situation that isn't normal is an important step in preventing
problems or correcting them when they arise.
Let's start by looking at the individuals in the colony: the queen, the workers, and
the drones. We'll explore their development and what each one does during the season.
As we do this, we'll also examine the colony as a unit, as well as the bees' environ-
ment—including where they live, how seasonal changes affect them, and your interac-
tions with them. In the next chapter, we'll bring all of this together and develop a predict-
able, seasonal plan that anticipates your activities and how to make beekeeping practical
and enjoyable.
Shown here are the drone (left); queen (center); and worker (right).
Worker Anatomy
This illustration shows the basic body parts of a honey bee.
