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Bee’s have many jobs those inside the hive and those outside. Without these many jobs the hive would neither thrive or succeed and the colony would die. We talked about the jobs inside the hive in a previous article so now lets look at the jobs bee’s have outside the hive.

The outside jobs assigned to bees are collector or  guard both of which are very important jobs. The collectors have multiple things to finds while out on a busy day. There are collectors for nectar, pollen, propolis and water. The bees collecting nectar ,for honey, and pollen ,for food, store these items in two separate spots. The pollen is kept in “pollen baskets” on their legs and the nectar is carried in their “honey sacks” or “honey stomach”. The honey sack is separate from and in front of its digestive stomach and is used only for storing nectar. In order to retrieve the nectar bees use their long, straw like tube tongues called a proboscis and suck the nectar out.  The honey stomach holds almost 70 mg of nectar and when full, it weighs almost as much as the bee does.

But this isn’t all they collect, they also collect propolis and water. Propolis is their “bee glue” which they use to fix cracks or breaks in the hive. In the hive they are unable to remove the sticky substance themselves and so nearby house bees remove the propolis from them. With over 180 different compounds, propolis is the colony’s chemical warfare against various pathogens. It is antiseptic, antifungal, antibiotic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial. Bee’s use this substance to protect themselves from microbial invasions.

Water although removed from nectar to make honey is important for the growth and maturation of new larvae. Water collected is transferred to the waiting in-hive workers (nurse bees) through the process of trophallaxis. The nurse bees then combined it with high amounts of pollen and nectar to produce the jelly in their hypopharyngeal glands which is used to feed the larvae. The collected water is also used to keep the hive cool. The water is spread in a thin film atop sealed brood or on the rims of cells containing larvae and eggs. The in-hive workers then fan vigorously, setting up air currents which evaporate the water and cool the interior of the hive on hot summer days.

Although the collector bees pay an important role in the maintenance and survival of the hive lets not for get about the bees stationed as guards. Guard bees protect the hive, stinging intruders and emitting a pheromone to warn bees inside the hive of impending danger.The guard bees stand at the hive entrance on their back four legs with their front legs raised. They inspect every bee entering the hive. The guard bees can determine if a bee belongs to its colony by the bee’s odor and only members of the hive are allowed in.The guard bees will sting and remove foreign intruders, such as bumble bees, wasps, and yellow jackets. They will also sting and attempt to drive away intruding skunks, raccoons, and beekeepers to keep the hive safe.

Sources

http://peacebeefarm.blogspot.co.nz/2009/08/guard-bees-protect-hive.html

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/roles-of-bees-in-a-hive.html

Water collection by honey bees

https://bigislandbees.com/blogs/bee-blog/14137353-bee-hive-hierarchy-and-activities

 

We’ve discussed the many ways that propolis is good for us and our families but we haven’t looked at why bees collect propolis in the first place. Propolis a plant based resin is used to give a hive structure and to protect it against predators, microbes and pathogens. Bees collect propolis and distribute it throughout their hives.  Propolis protects the hive from pathogens through its natural antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Without it bees would be subject to environmental stressors that could lead to their death. When building the hive they not only use the propolis in the architecture but they also create a propolis envelope, which surrounds the hive. This envelope acts as a antimicrobial layer for the hive. When building nests in the hollow of a tree for example the bees first layer the cavity with a layer of propolis that are ranges from 0.3-0.5mm thick. This keeps the hive waterproof, promotes stable temperatures and reduces microbial activity. In experiments bees with a propolis envelope have been found to have higher levels of Vg, an indicator that reflects that the bees are well-nourished. In general bees with adequate levels of propolis in their hives had better immune systems, which allowed for the longevity of the hive. Therefore, a colony of bees can be encouraged to build a natural propolis envelope within standard beekeeping equipment by modifying the inner walls of bee boxes. Perhaps propolis can, at least in part, help mitigate effects from threats to the hives durability.

Recent experiments have also shown that ingestion of propolis by the bees reduces the adverse affects of exposure to toxins produced by Aspergillus, a common hive fungus. Although bees do not naturally ingest propolis this might be a new way to help protect bees naturally from pathogen and stressors, brought on by bee farming. Feeding bees propolis would be similar to administering oral antibiotics. The exposure to propolis seems to prime the bee’s detoxification pathways giving them a leg up on fighting microbial and fungal infections. Understanding the role that propolis plays as a social immune defense directly against parasites and pathogens and through subtle, indirect effects on individual immunity and detoxification enzymes could be a key part of the puzzle to keeping our bees alive an well.

 

Pacific Resources International, Inc. carries only the finest CPL^TM Propolis from New Zealand. We also have a wide range of healthy products made with the propolis like PRI Propolis and Manuka Honey Cough Elixir, Manuka Honey and Propolis Lozenges, PRI Children's Propolis & Manuka Honey Lollipops and Propolis & Manuka Oral Spray. Perfect to support a healthy lifestyle.

Source

Simone-Finstrom, M., Borba, R. S., Wilson, M., & Spivak, M. (2017). Propolis Counteracts Some Threats to Honey Bee Health. Insects (2075-4450), 8(2), 1-20. doi:10.3390/insects8020046

 

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· HONEY BEE COLONY AVERAGES 60,000 ·

it takes a large work force to produce Manuka honey. Honey Bees forage outside and collect nectar, pollen, and water. 

·IF THE QUEEN GOES MISSING, THE HIVE WILL NOTICE WITHIN 15 MINUTES ·

A main communication within the hive is pheromones, Bees communicate by touching antennas and pass along pheromones. Once the Queens pheromone levels drop they notice her absence and can become agitated. 

· FOR 1 POUND OF HONEY, BEES COLLECT NECTAR FROM 2 MILLION FLOWERS ·

Bees must visit a lot of flower blossoms to collect the watery nectar that will be transformed into honey. 

· ONLY FEMALE WORKER BEES STING ·

 If you get stung by a honey bee, it will be a female worker bee who does the job. Drones or male bees – do no work.  They do not forage or guard the hive so they do not need stingers. Honey bees are not aggressive but will sting in defense if they feel threatened. Bee stings hurt but they are not dangerous -if you are not allergic.

· WORKER BEES CHANGE JOBS OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LIVES ·

 From nurse bees that feed young, to house bees who make honey and foragers who gather food.

· HONEY BEES ARE NOT NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA ·

 Bees were brought over from Europe with early settlers. The bees liked life in the New World and spread into the forests.

Australian Honey- Raw Organic Honey and Leatherwood Honey                                                                   Pacific Resources is excited to introduce two Australian Honeys to the gourmet honey family… More Honey Australia- Raw Organic Honey and Leatherwood Honey

Searching for a delicious and luxurious gourmet honey? Look no further because at Pacific Resources International offers you high quality gourmet honeys that will let you experience a taste of luxury.

Gourmet honey usually means premium quality honey. Each honey has its own distinct flavour and texture. These unique honeys come from flora only found in New Zealand and Australia.

Here are our 3 Gourmet Honeys that you should try:

New Zealand Multiflora Honey – sourced from New Zealand’s green forests, has a distinctive and smooth texture.

Blue Borage Honey - has clean tasting, mildly herbal with lemon and floral characteristics. 

Australian Leatherwood Honey – has smooth and creamy texture, a spicy buttery taste with a gist of citrus and white flowers.

Find the perfect gourmet honey for you and get dinner on the table with this recipe.

 

Ingredients

• ½ cup New Zealand Multiflora Honey

• 2 tablespoons sriracha

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

• ½-inch section of fresh ginger root, grated (or ½ teaspoon dried ground ginger)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• spray olive oil

• minced chives

Directions:

1. Whisk together the honey, sriracha, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger and set aside.

2. Cut the chicken breast into ½-inch wide strips, then turn 90 degrees and cut crosswise into ½-inch cubes.

3. Place a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Spray with olive oil. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and do not stir it for 30 seconds. Stir fry the chicken until opaque all the way through, about 7 minutes. Pour in the prepared sauce and raise the heat to high, tossing the chicken in the sauce. Continue to cook and toss (using either the pan or a spatula to toss) the chicken until the sauce is bubbly and thick and darkened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the sticky chicken bites to a bowl and garnish with minced chives.

Based on a recipe from: Foodie with Family

 

 

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