Q: There is a swarm of bees in my garden. What should I do?
A: Swarming bees look spectacular, but they are usually not aggressive. However, it is best to keep children and pets safely indoors. Do not try to scare the bees away by waving your arms wildly at them or throwing water at them as this is liable to aggravate them. Swarms that have settled in the open, for example in a bush or hanging from a branch, usually move off to a permanent site within a few hours. If the bees are easily accessible, a local beekeeper may be willing to remove the swarm. You can contact any of the Officers of the Monroe County Beekeepers Association and they can put you in contact with someone willing to remove the swarm for you.
Q: Are honey bees the only bees important for pollination?
A: No. There are many other bees and insects that are important for pollinating our orchards and crops (e.g. bumble bees and solitary bees). There are over 25,000 different species of bees in the world and many of them are under threat. 33% of all food that we eat is directly related to pollinating insects -- without bees we would starve!
Q: Do bumble bees make honey?
A: Yes, but not as much as honey bees and not in collectable quantities. Bumble bees have annual colonies, a queen starting afresh each spring, so there is no need for them to store large amounts of honey over winter.
Q: When did man start keeping bees for honey?
A: The first record of humans harvesting honey from bees dates back to 6000 BC. In these early days (and in some parts of the world still today), humans were honey hunters -- harvesting honey from wild nests.
Q: How many honey bees are there in a colony?
A: At the height of the season, an average sized colony can contain 50,000-70,000 bees. There is only ONE queen per colony.
Q: How far does a honey bee fly to get food?
A: Honey bee foragers commonly fly up to 2-3 miles to collect nectar and pollen from flowers and trees, but will fly up to 5 miles in times of drought or dearth. It is estimated that it takes 10 million foraging trips to make the equivalent of one jar of honey (1 lb or 454 g).
Q: How long does a honey bee live?
A: This depends on the time of year and the caste (worker, drone or queen) of bee. During the summer when foragers are working hard, their lifespan can be around 4-6 weeks. Workers emerging (hatching) at the end of the summer will overwinter in the hive and can live several months into the next season. The drones only have a short lifespan as once they are no longer needed for mating with queens, they are evicted from the hive and die soon after as they can't feed themselves. Queens live much longer, up to 5 years, but beekeepers usually only keep their queens for one or two years - the period when they are laying most eggs.
Q: Do bees fly at night?
A: Not usually, especially in temperate zones as it is too cold. Bees are 'cold blooded', they do not maintain a constant body temperature; it varies with external conditions and need to be warm for their flight muscles to work. During summer months, if you leave your porch light on, you may attract a honey bee if they are in line of sight of the light.
Q: Can bees see in color?
A: Yes. Bees see mostly the same colors we do, except at the red end of the spectrum - bees can't see red as a color. But they can see more at the other end of the spectrum and can see UV as a color. This is often called 'bee purple', but we really don't know what this color is like. When you look at a white flower, the petals just look white. But, when a bee looks at a white flower it also sees lines that guide it down to the nectar - these lines reflect UV light and are invisible to us, but to the bee they are 'bee purple'.
Q: Is raw honey and other bee products good for your health?
A: Yes. The antibacterial activity of honey is well established and is becoming recognized - again - as a useful wound dressing for ulcers and burns, promoting tissue regrowth and attacking deep-seated infections. It is also effective against the bacteria Helicobacter pylori that cause stomach ulcers. Propolis (bee glue) is a substance made by the bees from tree resins and wax. It contains phenols and flavonoids that have antibacterial properties. Some popular propolis products are mouth-washes and sore throat pastels. (Caution: some people are allergic to propolis). Two other bee products are pollen and royal jelly – by ingesting small amounts of pollen, your body can build up immunities to allergies caused by pollen in the air. Royal Jelly is sometimes called Nature’s Miracle Food. It has baffled scientists for many years. A queen honey bee only eats royal jelly, yet she can live for up to 5 years, instead of the normal 4-6 weeks of a worker bee. Lastly bee venom/sting therapy is gaining popularity for many health problems such as arthritis and MS, however caution should be taken as it has not been proven to be effective and people can suffer an allergic reaction.
A: Swarming bees look spectacular, but they are usually not aggressive. However, it is best to keep children and pets safely indoors. Do not try to scare the bees away by waving your arms wildly at them or throwing water at them as this is liable to aggravate them. Swarms that have settled in the open, for example in a bush or hanging from a branch, usually move off to a permanent site within a few hours. If the bees are easily accessible, a local beekeeper may be willing to remove the swarm. You can contact any of the Officers of the Monroe County Beekeepers Association and they can put you in contact with someone willing to remove the swarm for you.
Q: Are honey bees the only bees important for pollination?
A: No. There are many other bees and insects that are important for pollinating our orchards and crops (e.g. bumble bees and solitary bees). There are over 25,000 different species of bees in the world and many of them are under threat. 33% of all food that we eat is directly related to pollinating insects -- without bees we would starve!
Q: Do bumble bees make honey?
A: Yes, but not as much as honey bees and not in collectable quantities. Bumble bees have annual colonies, a queen starting afresh each spring, so there is no need for them to store large amounts of honey over winter.
Q: When did man start keeping bees for honey?
A: The first record of humans harvesting honey from bees dates back to 6000 BC. In these early days (and in some parts of the world still today), humans were honey hunters -- harvesting honey from wild nests.
Q: How many honey bees are there in a colony?
A: At the height of the season, an average sized colony can contain 50,000-70,000 bees. There is only ONE queen per colony.
Q: How far does a honey bee fly to get food?
A: Honey bee foragers commonly fly up to 2-3 miles to collect nectar and pollen from flowers and trees, but will fly up to 5 miles in times of drought or dearth. It is estimated that it takes 10 million foraging trips to make the equivalent of one jar of honey (1 lb or 454 g).
Q: How long does a honey bee live?
A: This depends on the time of year and the caste (worker, drone or queen) of bee. During the summer when foragers are working hard, their lifespan can be around 4-6 weeks. Workers emerging (hatching) at the end of the summer will overwinter in the hive and can live several months into the next season. The drones only have a short lifespan as once they are no longer needed for mating with queens, they are evicted from the hive and die soon after as they can't feed themselves. Queens live much longer, up to 5 years, but beekeepers usually only keep their queens for one or two years - the period when they are laying most eggs.
Q: Do bees fly at night?
A: Not usually, especially in temperate zones as it is too cold. Bees are 'cold blooded', they do not maintain a constant body temperature; it varies with external conditions and need to be warm for their flight muscles to work. During summer months, if you leave your porch light on, you may attract a honey bee if they are in line of sight of the light.
Q: Can bees see in color?
A: Yes. Bees see mostly the same colors we do, except at the red end of the spectrum - bees can't see red as a color. But they can see more at the other end of the spectrum and can see UV as a color. This is often called 'bee purple', but we really don't know what this color is like. When you look at a white flower, the petals just look white. But, when a bee looks at a white flower it also sees lines that guide it down to the nectar - these lines reflect UV light and are invisible to us, but to the bee they are 'bee purple'.
Q: Is raw honey and other bee products good for your health?
A: Yes. The antibacterial activity of honey is well established and is becoming recognized - again - as a useful wound dressing for ulcers and burns, promoting tissue regrowth and attacking deep-seated infections. It is also effective against the bacteria Helicobacter pylori that cause stomach ulcers. Propolis (bee glue) is a substance made by the bees from tree resins and wax. It contains phenols and flavonoids that have antibacterial properties. Some popular propolis products are mouth-washes and sore throat pastels. (Caution: some people are allergic to propolis). Two other bee products are pollen and royal jelly – by ingesting small amounts of pollen, your body can build up immunities to allergies caused by pollen in the air. Royal Jelly is sometimes called Nature’s Miracle Food. It has baffled scientists for many years. A queen honey bee only eats royal jelly, yet she can live for up to 5 years, instead of the normal 4-6 weeks of a worker bee. Lastly bee venom/sting therapy is gaining popularity for many health problems such as arthritis and MS, however caution should be taken as it has not been proven to be effective and people can suffer an allergic reaction.
