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To Bee or To Bee or Not to BeeNot to Bee

CLGCCLGC

January 10, 2012January 10, 2012

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How fast does a bee fly?How fast does a bee fly?

3 mph3 mph 15 mph15 mph 40 mph40 mph 60 mph60 mph

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How many pounds of honey does How many pounds of honey does the average American eat each the average American eat each year?year?

1.31.3 77 10.210.2 Nearly 100Nearly 100

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How many beekeepers in How many beekeepers in the state of Illinois?the state of Illinois?

5353 551551 16501650 29882988

This number is down from 2988 fifteen years ago. The average beekeeper maintains 17 hives. Seventy-one percent of beekeepers hold 5 or less colonies.

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In the world there are In the world there are many bees, but likely the many bees, but likely the most known is the honey most known is the honey bee.bee.

The honey bee produces many products useful to man, but is best known for its honey – the golden sweetness collected from all corners of the floral world.

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Research has Research has shown that shown that unlike most unlike most sweetenerssweeteners

HoneyHoney has vitamins, has vitamins, minerals and amino minerals and amino

acids as well as acids as well as antioxidants.antioxidants.

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Until a century Until a century ago when white ago when white cane sugar cane sugar became cheap became cheap and availableand available

Maple syrup and Maple syrup and honeyhoney were man’s only were man’s only

sweetener.sweetener.

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Honey is made from Honey is made from nectar.nectar.

Small amounts of pollen Small amounts of pollen A variety of sugarsA variety of sugars

FructoseFructose GlucoseGlucose

About 18% waterAbout 18% water The taste of the honey is The taste of the honey is

determined by the nectar source.determined by the nectar source.

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The honey bee The honey bee predates man on predates man on the planet Earththe planet Earth

Man has been here for Man has been here for about 200 thousand about 200 thousand

years…years…

Bees for about 200 Bees for about 200 million.million.

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It is interesting that bees It is interesting that bees historically appeared on the historically appeared on the earth at the same time as earth at the same time as flowering plants.flowering plants.

Bees and sexually Bees and sexually reproducing plants reproducing plants became partners.became partners.

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The earliest The earliest record of record of man’s man’s interest in interest in honeyhoney comes comes from cave from cave paintings like paintings like this one in this one in Spain circa Spain circa 4000 BC.4000 BC.

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Today, man Today, man has become has become the keeper of the keeper of the ancient the ancient bees while bees while growing growing strangely strangely dependent on dependent on them.them.

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Even though honey Even though honey bees have been on bees have been on the earth for millennia the earth for millennia

They did not arrive in They did not arrive in North America until North America until

the colonists brought the colonists brought them in 1621. them in 1621.

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Until 150 years ago bees in the US Until 150 years ago bees in the US were kept mainly in skeps and bee were kept mainly in skeps and bee

gumsgums

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The modern American The modern American hive was designed byhive was designed by L. L. Langstroth in L. L. Langstroth in 1851.1851.

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The Lanstroth hive is organized using frames to hold the “plan” for building honey comb.

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The living unit is The living unit is not the bee but not the bee but rather the rather the colony.colony.

So to reproduce… bees So to reproduce… bees make new colonies by make new colonies by

“swarming.”“swarming.”

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The Honey Bee Swarm

A beekeeper’s joy and the bane of a

beekeeper’s existence

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A Swarm

Contain as many 30,000 honey bees Emanates from a hive with the old queen Leaving behind an equal number of bees

and the future monarch in queen cells Usually lights near the hive of origination Moves on its own schedule to a new

location

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Swarms tend to be very docile

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A beekeeper would rather not see a swarm coming from his apiary

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The honey bee is of great The honey bee is of great economic value.economic value.

Largely for its role as a pollinatorLargely for its role as a pollinator We are talking billions of dollarsWe are talking billions of dollars

Secondarily for products of the hiveSecondarily for products of the hive HoneyHoney PollenPollen Bees waxBees wax PropolisPropolis Royal jellyRoyal jelly Bee venomBee venom

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Now after many Now after many millions of years millions of years surviving on the surviving on the

planet earthplanet earth

We may be about to We may be about to report on the report on the

Death of the American Death of the American Honey BeeHoney Bee

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Pests, disease, Pests, disease, and insecticidesand insecticides

The life of the honeybee The life of the honeybee is tenuousis tenuous

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In the bee world this is

Public Enemy #1….

The Varroa Mite

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Today surviving honey bee Today surviving honey bee colonies are largely kept colonies are largely kept

by beekeepers whose by beekeepers whose efforts limit the effects of efforts limit the effects of

the mites.the mites.

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In the last six yearsIn the last six years

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has begun Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has begun killing managed colonieskilling managed colonies

After extensive study, the cause of CCD is After extensive study, the cause of CCD is still largely unknownstill largely unknown

The leading candidatesThe leading candidates New powerful insecticidesNew powerful insecticides Viral diseasesViral diseases InbreedingInbreeding Two difficult to manage pestsTwo difficult to manage pests

Varroa distructorVarroa distructor Apis cerenaApis cerena

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The lose of the American The lose of the American honey bee would not only honey bee would not only cost the farmers billions cost the farmers billions of dollars.of dollars.

Americans would need Americans would need to change their eating to change their eating

habits.habits.

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America’s food supply is America’s food supply is tied to the welfare of tied to the welfare of honey bees -honey bees -

One third of our food is directly or One third of our food is directly or indirectly enabled by insect indirectly enabled by insect pollination.pollination.

80% of insect pollination is done 80% of insect pollination is done by honey beesby honey bees

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Honey bees are of Honey bees are of particular importance to particular importance to

AlmondsAlmonds MelonsMelons ApplesApples CucumbersCucumbers StrawberriesStrawberries

AlphalfaAlphalfa BlueberriesBlueberries CranberriesCranberries KiwiKiwi PumpkinPumpkin

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Each yearEach year

2.5 million colonies of bees are 2.5 million colonies of bees are rented to pollinate California crops.rented to pollinate California crops.

Farmers pay up to $200 per colony Farmers pay up to $200 per colony for two weeks of pollination for two weeks of pollination service.service.

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Bees and Pollination

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

No Bees With Bees

Pears (lb)Alphalfa (lb)Apples (number)

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Urban beekeeping arrives in New York

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A growing group enter beekeeping – generally as a hobby – each year.

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Is it time to bee part Is it time to bee part of the solution?of the solution?

                                       

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Krengel’s top ten list forKrengel’s top ten list for

Helping the HoneybeesHelping the Honeybees

10 .Be choosy about honey – choose 10 .Be choosy about honey – choose locallocal

9. Grow bee-friendly plants9. Grow bee-friendly plants 8. Join a local beekeepers group8. Join a local beekeepers group 7. Let it grow 7. Let it grow

Bees love clover and dandelionsBees love clover and dandelions Fence rows provide bee forageFence rows provide bee forage

6. Support bee research6. Support bee research

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Krengel’s top ten list forKrengel’s top ten list for

Helping the HoneybeesHelping the Honeybees

5. Make your city a honeybee city5. Make your city a honeybee city Welcome beekeepingWelcome beekeeping Plant bee-friendly plantsPlant bee-friendly plants

4. Learn more about our pollinator friends4. Learn more about our pollinator friends 3. Protect swarms – it is the natural thing to 3. Protect swarms – it is the natural thing to

do!do! 2. Become “spray conscious”2. Become “spray conscious”

Limit the use of insecticidesLimit the use of insecticides 1. Become a beekeeper!1. Become a beekeeper!

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I think they are heading for the gaggle!

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So… how does bee flight compare to human attempts to fly?

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In 1934, in an attempt to In 1934, in an attempt to prove that we really did prove that we really did not understand not understand aerodynamics, two aerodynamics, two Frenchmen (Magnan and Frenchmen (Magnan and Sainte-Lague) used simple Sainte-Lague) used simple existing mathematical existing mathematical analysis to conclude that a analysis to conclude that a honey bee could not fly.honey bee could not fly.

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Yes, bee can fly!Yes, bee can fly!

Honey bees fly by flapping their Honey bees fly by flapping their wings at 230 beats per second.wings at 230 beats per second.

The rate does not change as the The rate does not change as the load increases.load increases.

As load increases the amplitude of As load increases the amplitude of the beat increasesthe beat increases

To fly bees must first warm up their To fly bees must first warm up their flight muscles – to about 100flight muscles – to about 100°° F. F.

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A normal landingA normal landing

Bees tend to land with a 60Bees tend to land with a 60°° angle angle of attack. Rear legs land first.of attack. Rear legs land first.

To land inverted (on a ceiling) the To land inverted (on a ceiling) the antennae make contact first.antennae make contact first.

Hovering flight requires less Hovering flight requires less energy than forward flight.energy than forward flight.

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AircraftAircraft Wing loadingWing loading

(kg/sq m)(kg/sq m)

2-332-33 1616

ASK 21ASK 21 3333

RV 4RV 4 6767

Me 109Me 109 173173

F 104F 104 514514

B 747 B 747 740740

MD 11MD 11 844844

Honey beeHoney bee .29 - .66.29 - .66

BatBat .1.1

Humming BirdHumming Bird .2.2

EagleEagle .7.7

Canada GooseCanada Goose 22

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To have the same wing loading as a honeybee a man would need a wing with 3700 square feet.

A chord of 37 feet and a span of 100feet!!!

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Do bees thermal?

Likely yes. Not the workers, but the drones as they

establish a congregation area.

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Worker Drone Queen

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Not all stinging insects are Not all stinging insects are bees!bees!

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Please be kind to your buzzing friends!

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Let’s

buzz-off

now!

The Bee House