Content
- 1 Bee: is it an animal or an insect
- 2 The value of bees in nature
- 3 How the bees appeared
- 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 bees live
- 5.3 How much does a bee weigh
- 5.4 How 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 bees can withstand
- 5.9 When bees stop flying in the fall
- 5.10 How bees sleep
- 5.11 When bees stop collecting honey
- 5.12 How bees make bees
- 5.13 Are there bees that don't sting
- 6 Conclusion
The bee is a representative of the order Hymenoptera, which is closely related to ants and wasps. Throughout its life, the insect is engaged in collecting nectar, which is later transformed into honey. Bees live in large families, headed by a queen.
Bee: is it an animal or an insect
The bee is a flying insect with a long body with large yellow stripes. Its size varies from 3 to 45 mm. The body has three parts:
- head;
- chest;
- abdomen.
A distinctive feature of the insect is the faceted structure of the eyes, due to which bees are able to distinguish colors. In the upper part of the body there are wings that allow movement through the air. Three pairs of insect legs are covered with small hairs. Their presence facilitates the process of cleaning the antennas and gripping the wax plates. There is a stinging apparatus in the lower part of the body. When a danger arises, the flying individual releases a sting through which poison enters the body of the attacker. After such a maneuver, she dies.
The value of bees in nature
The bee is considered one of the most able-bodied individuals. Its function is to pollinate plants. The presence of hairs on her body facilitates the transfer of pollen from one place to another. Keeping a bee hive on an agricultural plot increases the yield.
The benefits of bees for humans
Representatives of the Hymenoptera benefit not only nature, but also humans. Their main function is the production of honey, which is a rich source of nutrients. Beekeeping products are widely used in cooking, medicine and cosmetology. Beekeepers make good profits, since the price of quality honey is quite high.
People began to use bee colonies for personal purposes several centuries ago. Today, insect breeding is considered both a hobby and a stable source of income. The benefits of representatives of the Hymenoptera for humans are as follows:
- increased yield as a result of active pollination of plants;
- saturation of the body with vitamins and minerals when using beekeeping products inside;
- treatment of various diseases within the framework of apitherapy.
Apidomics with Hymenoptera are often used for medicinal purposes. They are a wooden structure with insects inside. Above is a bed on which the patient is placed. He has no contact with the 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 bees give
Honey is not the only product produced by bees. There are many other foods that make Hymenoptera appreciated. They are used in the manufacture of traditional medicine, eaten and used in cosmetology. The waste products of insects include:
- bee venom;
- wax;
- propolis;
- pergu;
- royal jelly;
- chitin;
- backing.
How the bees appeared
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. Insects lined up cells inside which they laid eggs. After hatching, the larvae were fed pollen. Later, the organs of secretion began to change in insects, the limbs began to adapt to collecting food. The hunting instinct was replaced by the instinct to pollinate plants and feed brood.
The birthplace of flying Hymenoptera is South Asia. As they settled in places with different climatic conditions, insects acquired new skills. In the cold winter conditions, representatives of the Hymenoptera began to build shelters, where they warm each other, united in a ball. At this time, the bees feed on food stored in the fall. In the spring, insects start working with renewed vigor.
When the bees appeared on earth
Scientists claim that Hymenoptera originated more than 50 million years ago. From Asia, they spread to South India, and then penetrated into the Middle East. They headed to Russia from the southwest, but did not settle further than the Ural Mountains because of the harsh climate. They appeared in Siberia only 200 years ago. Hymenoptera were introduced to America artificially.
How bees were kept before
The oldest type of beekeeping in Russia was considered to be wild. People found hives of wild bees and took the accumulated honey from them. In the future, they began to practice onboard beekeeping. By the side was called an artificially made hollow inside a tree. It served as a place of settlement for a bee family. A flooring was placed inside, which simplified the process of collecting honey. The hole in the imitation of the hollow was closed with pieces of wood, leaving the entrance for the workers.
In Russia, wrestling was considered a luxury. A high fine was imposed for the ruin of princely nests. In some hollows, honey was collected over several years. Members of the bee family completely filled the combs with honey, and then left the hive due to lack of space for further work. Beekeeping was also practiced at monasteries. The main goal of the clergy was to collect the wax from which the candles were made.
The next stage in the development of beekeeping was log production. Apiaries gained mobility. They were located not on trees, but on the ground. Various techniques have been developed to exercise control over 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 rather complex and multistage. The set of stages in the development of an insect is called brood. Eggs and larvae are considered open brood and pupae sealed. Throughout its life, an insect goes through several stages:
- egg laying;
- larva;
- prepupa;
- chrysalis;
- an adult.
Bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowering plants. Features of the structure of the jaw apparatus allow you to collect food through the proboscis, from where it enters the goiter. There, under the influence of physiological processes, the food is transformed into honey. Beekeepers collect the harvest from the apiary at the beginning of summer. But there are also exceptions to this rule. For the winter, insects prepare a supply of food. The wintering process depends on its quantity and quality.
The queen is responsible for the reproduction process in the bee family. She is the leader of the hive. Outwardly, it is much larger than the rest of the individuals. When mating with a drone, the uterus stores semen in its body. During the laying of eggs, she independently fertilizes them, moving from one cell to another. Worker bees will form in such cells. The uterus fills the cells of wax with unfertilized eggs. In the future, drones grow out of them.
Larvae form 3 days after laying. Their bodies are white. The eyes and legs are not visualized. But the digestive abilities are already actively developed. During maturation, the larva actively absorbs food that workers bring to it. During the transition to the next stage of the life cycle, representatives of Hymenoptera are sealed in cells with brood. In this position, the prepupa begins to cocoon. This period lasts from 2 to 5 days.
At the next stage, the prepupa is transformed into a pupa. She already resembles an adult, but still differs from her in a white body. The duration of stay at this stage is 5-10 days. 18 days after the final maturation, the representative of the Hymenoptera makes the first flight.
The adult life of the bee is filled with collecting nectar and feeding the brood in the hive. The uterus is engaged in laying eggs, and the males accompany her during mating flights. At the end of their life, bees perform a protective function. They make sure that no uninvited guests get into the hive. If an insect finds a foreign individual, it will sacrifice its life to inject poison into the body of the attacker. After the bite, the insect leaves a sting in the victim's body, after which it dies.
What a bee looks like
The worker differs from other representatives of Hymenoptera in body shape and color. Unlike a wasp, the body of a bee is covered with small hairs. It is much smaller in size than a hornet and a wasp. A sting is located on the lower part of the abdomen of the Hymenoptera. It has a notch, so the insect is not able to sting repeatedly. After insertion, the sting gets stuck in the victim's body. A close-up photo will help to examine in detail the structure of the bee's body.
Interesting facts about bees
Information about bees is useful not only for beekeepers, but also for those who try not to come into contact with Hymenoptera. This will help broaden your horizons and avoid insect bites in places where they congregate.
The largest bee in the world
The largest bee in the world belongs to the mega-hilid 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 bees live
Bees produce honey in all climates with flowering plants. They live in earthen holes, crevices and hollows. The main criteria when choosing a home are protection from the wind and the presence in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir.
How much does a bee weigh
The weight of a bee depends on its species and age. The individual that makes the first flight weighs 0.122 g. As it grows up, 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 bees communicate with each other
The tongue of bees is a manifestation of instinct. He 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 announcing the news. The speed of movement indicates the remoteness of the found feed. The slower the dance, the further away the nectar is. By the smell coming from the Hymenoptera, the rest of the individuals learn about where to go in search of food.
How bees see
The visual function in the Hymenoptera is a complex instrument. It includes simple and complex eyes. Large lenses on the sides of the head are often mistaken for the only organ of vision. In fact, there are simple eyes on the crown of the head and forehead that allow you to see objects up close. Due to the presence of faceted vision, Hymenoptera have a large viewing angle.
Insects are poorly distinguished by geometric shapes. Despite this, they are good at seeing three-dimensional objects. The main advantage of the Hymenoptera is its ability to recognize polarized light and ultraviolet rays.
What colors do bees distinguish?
In the middle of the 20th century, scientists discovered that Hymenoptera did not react at all to red. But they perceive white, blue and yellow colors well. Sometimes representatives of Hymenoptera confuse yellow with green, and instead of blue they see purple.
Do bees see in the dark
In the twilight, representatives of the Hymenoptera are able to calmly navigate in space. This is 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 a short distance.
How bees fly
The principle of bee flight is considered to be unique. The wing of the insect moves in the opposite direction when turning 90 °. In 1 second, there are about 230 flaps of the wings.
How fast does a bee fly?
Without a load of nectar, the bee flies faster. Its speed in this case varies from 28 to 30 km / h. The flight speed of the loaded bee is 24 km / h.
How high do the 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 of 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 reserves while spending energy intensively.
How bees find their way home
When looking for a way to their home, bees are guided by smell and surrounding objects. 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 bees can withstand
In winter, insects do not fly. They hibernate in a hive, gathering in a large ball. In their home, they manage to maintain a temperature of 34-35 ° C. It is comfortable for brood rearing. The maximum temperature that insects can withstand is 45 ° C.
How bees tolerate heat
Beekeepers try not to put the hive in the sun. Insects hardly tolerate intense heat. It is important not only to monitor temperature indicators, but also to provide the necessary oxygen access to the hive.
When bees stop flying in the fall
The peculiarities of bees' life include a decrease in physical activity with the onset of cold weather. The nectar flights end in October. Occasionally, single emergence of certain individuals is observed.
How bees sleep
The facts about the activity of bees will be relevant for those who are used to collecting honey at night. At night, insects prefer to stay in their home.Their sleep is intermittent, for 30 seconds. They combine a short rest with active work.
Do bees sleep at night
Hymenoptera stop working at 8-10 pm, depending on the length of daylight hours. If you go to 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, the activity of insects does not stop for a second.
How to put bees to sleep for a while
Knowing everything about bees, you can easily perform any actions with them. For example, ammonium nitrate is capable of introducing insects into anesthesia. This method is practiced if the family is too violent. But most often, beekeepers select the most harmless ways to restrict the mobility of workers.
When bees stop collecting honey
According to the calendar of beekeepers, Hymenoptera stop wearing honey from August 14th. This day is called the Savior of Honey. Further actions of insects are aimed at replenishing honey stocks for the wintering period. With regard to the life cycle of a worker, the honey harvesting process takes place until the moment of death. The average lifespan of a worker is 40 days.
How bees make bees
Representatives of Hymenoptera make bee bread by processing pollen. They mix it with their own enzymes and seal it in honeycombs. From above, insects pour a small amount of honey. During fermentation, lactic acid is produced, which is also a preservative.
Are there bees that don't sting
There are varieties of Hymenoptera that do not bring any harm to humans. Scientists count about 60 species of such bees. One of them is the melipones. They have no sting at all, which makes the process of introducing poison impossible. Melipons live in tropical climates. Their main function is to pollinate crops.
A distinctive feature of this type of Hymenoptera is the construction of horizontal and vertical hives. There is no clear division of labor in a family of this type. Recently, the insect population has begun to decline.
Conclusion
The bee lives a busy life filled with a lot of useful things. She is engaged in the production of 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.
