Species

Ants, termites, wasps, and bees are biologically similar to the suborder level. The differentiation between them starts at the superfamily level (for example, the ants are in the superfamily – formicoidea). The superfamily – Apidae includes the 20,000 species of bees, divided into nine families, among them the social bees belonging to the family Apidae. This family is divided as follows: Bees can be considered according to their habits, or other conveniences, in three categories: social, solitary, and parasitic.

They are those that live in swarms, that is, in large numbers of individuals in the same nest, and where there is division of labor and separation of castes. Breeds are the members of the hive, usually a queen, drones and workers, as will soon be seen. Although they are the minority among the various species, they carry within themselves what really characterizes the essence of the bees’ kingdom.

It differs from that of other insects. A bee only parasites another bee and uses only labor and food that the host stored. In most cases, the parasite invades the nests, places its eggs in the cells already ready and provisioned by the host and allows its children to develop in the care of this one. In some cases, the parasite happens to live with the host and may even develop some kind of work together. Another type of interesting parasitism is found in a genus of bees (Lestrimelitta, commonly known as lemon – bee) that are socially well – developed. The species of this group (two) build their own nests, but the building material and provisions are stolen from other nests of related species, such as jati, tubiba, strawberry, etc. These bees come out in great numbers – because their colonies even have thousands of individuals – invade the nest of others and from there they carry the material they need. These attacks last, sometimes, for several days, and many bees die. Another peculiar aspect is that these parasites begin to defend the conquered nest against looting or secondary parasites, while they take the stolen material. Lemon bees are so well adapted to this behavior that they do not even have the orbicles.

Also called “Kingdom bees” are found throughout most of Europe. They are very tame, but they get very agitated during handling. Comparing these two groups of bees, Apis and meliponids, we can not say which is more or less evolved. Each has its own characteristics and tasks. But of course they are different. The decision-making power of an Apis colony is noticeably something of the first ray. All your processes imply a total disconnection from what has passed.

Bees that live alone and die before their children reach adulthood. They build nests on the ground, in cracks in rocks and trees, in rotten wood or abandoned nests of other insects. Usually the fertilized females carefully prepare the nest, supply each cell with an adequate amount of food prepared from pollen and honey, and place the egg on that layer of food. Then they close each cell, close the nest on the outside and leave.

We find the genera Apis and Bom-bus that have sting. In the genus Apis we found four species among them this Apis Mellifera which is the species most used for the production of honey worldwide. Although our indigenous bees do not possess sting, they are not widely used for the production of honey, because their production is low compared to the social bees of the Africanized group.

They live from southern Africa to southern Sahara. They are very aggressive bees, pollinators and swarming. They were introduced in Brazil around 1956.

Called “Italian Bees”, they are found in Italy and the northern coast of Yugoslavia. They are very tame, they are calm in the combs when the handling is done, they are little hatching. They were introduced in Brazil around 1879/1880.

They are found in the Nile River Valley, also known as “Egyptian Bees”. They are very brave, of low productivity and do not adapt very well the various beekeeping practices.

The example of swarming is characteristic. When a family of Apis launches a swarm, it loses all connection with the mother family. The same process in a meliponid happens gradually, with a progressive shutdown of the mother hive. There is also the example of order. The constitution of a nest of Apis predicts that all structures must be useful and functional without superfluity. So much so that all combs are the same, and the same cells that serve for the birth of workers or drones, also serve for the storage of pollen or honey. In meliponids, the rearing cells are completely distinct from the storage vessels, and in addition, they are destroyed and remade continuously.

Apparently the meliponids bring in much of the softness of the even rays, to the point that some species allow the coexistence of several queens, diluting their central axis of balance in several points. Such a situation is impossible in a beehive of Apis, being the cohabitation of a queen with princesses tolerated only in the moments in which there is to be a division of family or change of queen. The energy flow in a hive of Apis is strong. Your sensitivity and negative and disharmonious energies are great. Meliponids carry gentle energy, and patiently tolerate the proximity of disharmonious beings, even if they “suffer” from it.

Although we can say that bees are the noblest representatives of insects on the surface of the Earth, even they are susceptible to the degradation of man. Bees demonstrate that this kingdom was not immune to the negativism of the present surface civilization. Also among the Apis we find these signs. In times of famine, some families are forced to try to steal the reserves of other families. And there are families in which the loot instinct is deeply ingrained, sometimes causing much disorder in the apiaries.

How Bees Are Born

Three days after being fertilized the queen bee starts to spawn, putting an egg in each well. A queen can for about three thousand eggs a day. During their cycle, the bees go through four very differentiated stages: Egg – Larva – Nymph – Adult

Like butterflies, they suffer from a METAMORPHOSIS, the larvae are very different from adults and their body undergoes very important changes during their development.

Eggs are formed in both ovaries of the queen and, as they pass through the oviduct, they may or may not be fertilized by the spermatozoa stored in the sperm. The eggs are fertilized and will give rise to worker bees and unfertilized bees will be born drones. This phenomenon – from the birth of drones from unfertilized eggs – is scientifically known as parthenogenesis. Therefore, the drone is always born pure of race, because it originates from an unfertilized egg.

It is interesting to know how the queen determines which eggs will be fertilized, that is, they will give rise to workers, and which will give rise to drones. The process takes the following form: the bees build alveoli of two sizes: a smaller one, destined to the creation of workers’ larvae, and a larger one, where the bumblebees will be born. Before ovulating, the queen bee measures the dimensions of the alveolus with its front paws. Realizing that it is a pocket of workers, the queen, by introducing her abdomen to perform the posture, compresses her esperance, thus releasing spermatozoa that will fertilize the egg that will be deposited in the alveolus. If the queen verifies that the alveolus is intended for drones, it simply inserts the abdomen into the alveolus without compressing its sperm, thus depositing an unfertilized egg.

It is important that the beekeeper knows these differences because, if the sperm lot present in the queen’s sperm is exhausted, all the bees will be born from unfertilized eggs, thus giving rise to drones, only. In this case, the beekeeper must immediately replace his queen, to prevent the colony from disappearing, due to the lack of workers, who guarantee food, hygiene and other services of the beehive.

Three days after being fertilized the queen bee starts to spawn, putting an egg in each well. A queen can for about three thousand eggs a day. During their cycle, the bees go through four very differentiated stages: Egg – Larva – Nymph – Adult

Like butterflies, they suffer from a METAMORPHOSIS, the larvae are very different from adults and their body undergoes very important changes during their development.

Eggs are formed in both ovaries of the queen and, as they pass through the oviduct, may or may not be fertilized by the sperm stored in the sperm. Eggs are fertilized and will give rise to worker bees and unfertilized bees will be born. This phenomenon – from the birth of drones from unfertilized eggs – is scientifically known as parthenogenesis. Therefore, the drone is always born pure of race, because it originates from an unfertilized egg.

It is interesting to know how the queen determines which eggs will be fertilized, that is, they will give rise to workers, and which will give rise to drones. The process takes the following form: the bees build alveoli of two sizes: a smaller one, destined to the creation of workers’ larvae, and a larger one, where the bumblebees will be born. Before ovulating, the queen bee measures the dimensions of the alveolus with its front paws. Realizing that it is a pocket of workers, the queen, by introducing her abdomen to perform the posture, compresses her esperance, thus releasing spermatozoa that will fertilize the egg that will be deposited in the alveolus. If the queen verifies that the alveolus is intended for drones, it simply inserts the abdomen into the alveolus without compressing its sperm, thus depositing an unfertilized egg.

It is important that the beekeeper knows these differences because, if the sperm lot present in the queen’s sperm is exhausted, all the bees will be born from unfertilized eggs, thus giving rise to drones, only. In this case, the beekeeper must immediately replace his queen, to prevent the colony from disappearing, due to the lack of workers, who guarantee food, hygiene and other services of the beehive.