The European Honey Bees

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Originating from Europe, Apis mellifera (Bartlett et al.) is one of the few non-native species whose presence has become essential for food production in the United States. European honey bees are the primary pollinator for a large portion of fruits and vegetables around the world. Recent problems with pest and diseases within colonies have led to a drastic decline in the number of managed hives available for pollination. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) (Mortensen, Schmehl and Ellis)has caused the highest level of hive decrease since 2006. The phenomena of CCD has generated a large amount of public interest, in turn increasing interest in honey bee management or beekeeping worldwide. This interest has also led to an increase in research.
Wild …show more content…
Each has its own job within the hive depending upon its age and caste. The queen bee is the only individual within a colony that has the ability to lay viable female eggs. Occasionally worker bees are able to lay eggs, but these will remain unfertilized and become drones (National Geographic). The male bees within the colony are called drones, and their only job in life is to impregnate a virgin queen. Alternatively, the worker bees do all of the tasks required for the upkeep, maintenance and feeding of the hive. They tend to all of the larvae, feed the queen, and produce the royal jelly required to feed new baby queens. Additionally, worker bee jobs change as they age. The oldest are the bees that most of us run into on a normal basis, these are the foragers for the hive. The youngest bees tend the growing larvae, while the middle aged bees take care of the food storage, and wax building, and guard the entrance of the hive. This type of system is known as age-related …show more content…
Species Apis mellifera - Western Honey Bee. 7 October 2015. Iowa State University. Website. November 19 2015. .
Dadant. Dadant. 2015. 19 November 2015. .
Geographic, National. Honeybee, Apis mellifera. 1996. Website. 19 November 2015. .
Mortensen, Ashley N, Daniel R Schmehl and Jamie Ellis. Featured Creatures, Entemology & Nematology, FDACS/DPI, EDIS. Ed. Jennifer L. Gillet-Kaufman. August 2013. EDIS publication. 19 November 2015.

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