Content
- 1 Bee: is it an animal or insect?
- 2 The importance of bees in nature
- 3 How did bees appear?
- 4 The life of a bee from birth to death
- 5 Interesting facts about bees
- 5.1 The largest bee in the world
- 5.2 Where do bees live?
- 5.3 How much does a bee weigh?
- 5.4 How do bees communicate with each other?
- 5.5 How bees see
- 5.6 How far do bees fly?
- 5.7 How bees find their way home
- 5.8 What is the maximum temperature that bees can withstand?
- 5.9 When do bees stop flying in the fall?
- 5.10 How do bees sleep?
- 5.11 When do bees stop collecting honey?
- 5.12 How bees make bee bread
- 5.13 Are there bees that don't sting?
- 6 Conclusion
The bee is a member of the order Hymenoptera, which is closely related to ants and wasps. Throughout its life, the insect collects nectar, which is later transformed into honey. Bees live in large families, headed by the queen.
Bee: is it an animal or insect?
A bee is a flying insect characterized by a long body with large yellow stripes. Its size varies from 3 to 45 mm. The body consists of three parts:
- head;
- breast;
- abdomen.
A distinctive feature of the insect is the faceted structure of the eyes, due to which bees are able to distinguish colors. The upper part of the body contains wings that allow it to move through the air. Three pairs of insect legs are covered with small hairs. Their presence makes it easier to clean the antennas and capture the wax plates. In the lower part of the body there is a stinging apparatus. When danger arises, the flying individual releases a sting through which poison penetrates the attacker’s body. After such a maneuver she dies.
The importance of bees in nature
The bee is considered one of the most productive individuals. Its function is to pollinate plants. The presence of hairs on its body facilitates the process of transferring flower pollen from one place to another. Keeping a beehive on an agricultural plot leads to increased yield.
The benefits of bees for humans
Representatives of Hymenoptera benefit not only nature, but also humans. Their main function is to produce honey, which is a rich source of nutrients. Bee products are widely used in cooking, medicine and cosmetology. Beekeepers make a good profit, since the price of high-quality honey is quite high.
People began using bee families for personal purposes several centuries ago. Today, insect breeding is considered both a hobby and a stable source of income. The benefits of Hymenoptera representatives for humans are as follows:
- increased yield as a result of active pollination of plants;
- saturating the body with vitamins and minerals when consuming bee products internally;
- treatment of various diseases as part of apitherapy.
For medicinal purposes, apidomics with Hymenoptera are often used. They are a wooden structure with insects inside. On top there is a bed on which the patient is placed. It does not come into any contact with hymenoptera, which reduces the likelihood of a bite. But at the same time, a special microclimate is created inside the hive, which has a beneficial effect on health.
What do bees give?
Honey is not the only product produced by bees. There are many other products that make Hymenoptera valuable. They are used in the manufacture of traditional medicine, eaten and used in cosmetology. Insect waste products include:
- bee venom;
- wax;
- propolis;
- bee bread;
- royal jelly;
- chitin;
- zabrus
How did bees appear?
The life of bees originated on earth more than fifty million years ago. According to data collected by paleontologists, wasps appeared much earlier. One of their varieties in the process of evolution changed the type of feeding of the family. The insects built cells inside which they laid eggs. After hatching, the larvae were fed pollen. Subsequently, the insects' secretion organs began to change, and their limbs began to adapt to collecting food. The hunting instinct was replaced by the instinct of pollinating plants and feeding brood.
South Asia is considered the homeland of flying hymenoptera. As they settled in places with different climatic conditions, insects developed new skills.In cold winter conditions, representatives of the Hymenoptera began to build shelters where they warm each other, uniting in a ball. At this time, bees feed on food stored in the fall. In spring, insects begin to work with renewed vigor.
When did bees appear on earth?
Scientists claim that Hymenoptera arose more than 50 million years ago. From Asia they spread to South India and then entered the Middle East. They headed to Russia from the southwest, but did not settle further than the Ural Mountains due to the harsh climate. They appeared in Siberia only 200 years ago. Hymenoptera were brought to America artificially.
How bees were kept before
The oldest type of beekeeping in Rus' was considered wild. People found hives of wild bees and took away their accumulated honey. Later they began to practice on-board beekeeping. Bortyu called an artificially made hollow inside a tree. It served as a settlement place for a bee family. A flooring was placed inside, which simplified the process of collecting honey. The hole in the imitation hollow was covered with pieces of wood, leaving a hole for working individuals.
In Rus', boards were considered a luxury. A high fine was imposed for the destruction of princely nests. Some hollows collected honey over several years. Members of the bee family completely filled the honeycombs with honey, after which they left the hive due to lack of space for further work. Beekeeping was also practiced in monasteries. The main goal of the clergy was to collect wax from which candles were made.
The next stage in the development of beekeeping was log production. Apiaries have become mobile. They were not located in trees, but on the ground.Various techniques have been developed to control representatives of the Hymenoptera. Beehives began to be equipped with containers for collecting honey and other devices.
The life of a bee from birth to death
The life cycle of representatives of Hymenoptera is quite complex and multi-stage. The set of stages of insect development is called brood. Eggs and larvae are considered open brood, and pupae are considered sealed brood. Throughout its life, an insect goes through several stages:
- egg laying;
- larva;
- prepupa;
- chrysalis;
- adult.
Bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowering plants. The structural features of the jaw apparatus make it possible to collect food through the proboscis, from where it enters the crop. There, under the influence of physiological processes, the food is transformed into honey. Beekeepers collect the harvest from the apiary in early summer. But there are exceptions to this rule. For the winter, insects store food reserves. The wintering process depends on its quantity and quality.
The queen is responsible for the process of reproduction in the bee family. She is the leader of the hive. Outwardly, it is much larger than other individuals. During mating with a drone, the queen stores seminal fluid in her body. While laying eggs, she independently fertilizes them, moving from one comb to another. Worker bees will form in such cells. The uterus fills the wax cells with unfertilized eggs. Later they grow into drones.
Larvae form 3 days after oviposition. Their bodies are distinguished by their white color. Eyes and legs are not visualized. But digestive abilities are already actively developed. During maturation, the larva actively absorbs food that workers bring to it.When moving to the next stage of the life cycle, representatives of the Hymenoptera are sealed in cells with brood. In this position, the prepupa begins to spin a cocoon. This period lasts from 2 to 5 days.
At the next stage, the prepupa transforms into a pupa. She already resembles an adult, but still differs from her in her white body. The duration of stay at this stage is 5-10 days. 18 days after final maturation, a representative of the Hymenoptera makes its first flight.
The adult life of a bee is filled with collecting nectar and feeding brood in the hive. The queen lays eggs, and males accompany her during mating flights. At the end of their lives, bees perform a protective function. They make sure that uninvited guests do not enter the hive. If the insect detects a foreign individual, it will sacrifice its life to inject poison into the body of the attacker. After biting, the insect leaves a sting in the body of the victim, after which it dies.
What does a bee look like?
The toiler differs from other representatives of Hymenoptera in body shape and color. Unlike a wasp, a bee's body is covered with small hairs. It is much smaller in size than a hornet and a wasp. The Hymenoptera has a sting located on the lower part of its abdomen. It has a serration, so the insect is not able to sting repeatedly. Once inserted, the sting becomes stuck in the victim's body. A close-up photo will help you examine the structure of a bee's body in detail.
Interesting facts about bees
Information about bees is useful not only for beekeepers, but also for those who try to avoid contact with hymenoptera.This will help broaden your horizons and avoid insect bites in places where they accumulate.
The largest bee in the world
The largest bee in the world belongs to the megachilid family. In scientific language it is called Megachile pluto. The wingspan of the insect is 63 mm, and the body length reaches 39 mm.
Where do bees live?
Bees produce honey in all climate zones where there are flowering plants. They live in earthen burrows, crevices and hollows. The main criteria when choosing a home are protection from the wind and the presence of a body of water in the immediate vicinity.
How much does a bee weigh?
The weight of a bee depends on its variety and age. An individual making its first flight weighs 0.122 g. As it grows older, due to the filling of the goiter with nectar, its weight increases to 0.134 g. Old flying bees weigh around 0.075 g. The body size of a dwarf bee is 2.1 mm.
How do bees communicate with each other?
The language of bees is a manifestation of instincts. It is known to every individual from birth. Having found a new place to collect nectar, the scout bee must communicate the information to the rest of the family. To do this, she uses sign language. The bee begins to dance in a circle, thereby reporting the news. The speed of movement indicates the remoteness of the food found. The slower the dance, the further away the nectar is located. By the smell coming from the hymenoptera, other individuals learn where to go in search of food.
How bees see
The visual function of Hymenoptera is a complex instrument. It includes simple and compound eyes. Large lenses located on the sides of the head are often mistaken for the only organ of vision.In fact, there are simple eyes on the crown and forehead that allow you to see objects up close. Due to the presence of facet vision, Hymenoptera have a wide viewing angle.
Insects do not distinguish geometric shapes well. Despite this, they see three-dimensional objects well. The main advantage of Hymenoptera is the ability to recognize polarized light and ultraviolet rays.
What colors do bees distinguish?
In the mid-20th century, scientists discovered that Hymenoptera did not react at all to the color red. But they perceive white, blue and yellow colors well. Sometimes representatives of Hymenoptera confuse yellow with green, and see purple instead of blue.
Can bees see in the dark?
In the dark, representatives of Hymenoptera are able to calmly navigate in space. This occurs due to the ability to see polarized light. If there are no light sources, then she will not find the way to her home.
How far do bees fly?
Most often, working individuals of Hymenoptera fly for nectar at a distance of 2-3 km from home. During the swarming period, they can fly 7-14 km from their home. It is believed that the flight radius depends on the activity of the bee family. If it is weakened, then flights will be carried out at close range.
How bees fly
The principle of bee flight is considered unique. The insect's wing moves in the opposite direction when turning 90°. There are about 230 wing beats in 1 second.
How fast does a bee fly?
Without a load in the form of nectar, a bee flies faster.Its speed in this case varies from 28 to 30 km/h. The flight speed of a loaded bee is 24 km/h.
At what altitude do bees fly?
Even in the presence of wind, Hymenoptera are able to rise 30 m from the ground. But usually they collect nectar at a height of no more than 8 m. The process of mating queens with drones occurs at a height of more than 10 m. The higher the insect rises, the less nectar it will collect. This is due to the need to feed on their own reserves with intensive energy expenditure.
How bees find their way home
When searching for the way to their home, bees navigate by smell and surrounding objects. When making their first flight, hymenoptera assess their surroundings by the location of trees and various buildings. Already at this moment they draw up a rough plan of the area. This helps you find your way home when flying long distances.
What is the maximum temperature that bees can withstand?
In winter, insects do not fly. They spend the winter in the hive, gathering into a large ball. In their home they manage to maintain a temperature of 34-35°C. It is comfortable for raising brood. The maximum temperature that insects can withstand is 45°C.
How do bees cope with heat?
Beekeepers try not to place the hive in the sun. Insects cannot tolerate intense heat. It is important not only to monitor temperature indicators, but also to ensure the necessary access of oxygen to the hive.
When do bees stop flying in the fall?
Peculiarities of the life of bees include a decrease in physical activity with the onset of cold weather.Flights for nectar end in October. Sometimes single flights of certain individuals are observed.
How do bees sleep?
Facts about the activity of bees will be relevant for those who are used to collecting honey in the dark. At night, insects prefer to stay in their homes. Their sleep is intermittent, 30 seconds each. They combine short rest with active work.
Do bees sleep at night?
Hymenoptera stop working at 8-10 pm, depending on the length of daylight. If you approach the hive at night and listen, you can hear a characteristic hum. While some members of the family are resting, other individuals continue to produce honey. As a result of this, the activity of insects does not stop for a second.
How to put bees to sleep temporarily
Knowing everything about bees, you can easily perform any actions with them. For example, ammonium nitrate can put insects under anesthesia. This method is practiced if the family is too rowdy. But most often, beekeepers select the most harmless ways to limit the mobility of working individuals.
When do bees stop collecting honey?
According to the beekeepers' calendar, hymenoptera stop producing honey on August 14th. This day is called Honey Savior. Further actions of insects are aimed at replenishing honey reserves for the wintering period. In relation to the life cycle of the worker, the process of collecting honey continues until death. On average, the lifespan of a working individual is 40 days.
How bees make bee bread
Representatives of the Hymenoptera make beebread by processing flower pollen. They mix it with their own enzymes and seal it into honeycombs. Insects pour a small amount of honey on top.During the fermentation process, lactic acid is produced, which is also a preservative.
Are there bees that don't sting?
There are species of Hymenoptera that do not cause any harm to humans. Scientists count about 60 species of such bees. One of them is Melipona. They completely lack a sting, which makes the process of injecting venom impossible. Melipons live in places with a tropical climate. Their main function is pollination of crops.
A distinctive feature of this species of Hymenoptera is the construction of horizontal and vertical hives. There is no clear division of labor in the family of this species. Recently, the insect population has begun to decline.
Conclusion
The bee lives a busy life, filled with a lot of useful things. It produces honey, bee bread and propolis, which are beneficial to the human body. Proper care of the bee family makes its work longer and more productive.
