green bee buzz

welcome to the debut of green bee buzz, your monthly dose of all things sustainable!

each month, we'll dive deep into topics from the built environment to nature, all with a green twist.

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june 2024

June is here, and with it comes the symphony of nature - birds chirping, buds blooming, and bees buzzing. And speaking of bees, what better way to kick off our Green Bee Buzz journey than by celebrating these essential insects!

Bees come in all shapes and sizes, each playing a vital role in our ecosystem. From the hardworking honey producers to the lesser-known but equally important pollinators like the green bee, these tiny creatures keep our world turning.

Did you know that humans have been keeping bees for thousands of years? The art of beekeeping has evolved from ancient cave drawings to modern-day hives, but the bees' honeycomb architecture remains constant.

Let's take a peek inside the modern hive. From the bottom up, we start with the hive stand, keeping our buzzing friends elevated to avoid moisture and improve ventilation. The bottom board provides a solid foundation, while the entrance reducer can be rotated to allow the "door" to the hive to be larger or smaller depending on the season and size of the hive, ensuring perfect climate control for our bee tenants.

Next, we have the brood chamber, where the queen bee reigns supreme, laying eggs and nurturing the next generation of bees. Additional boxes are added to the growing hive, allowing for expansion and honey production.

Bees organize themselves and naturally add brood toward the bottom of the hive and store honey at the top. Beekeepers introduce an ingenious addition to the hive to harness this natural inclination: the super, aptly named for its placement above the brood chambers. As an additional storage space, the super provides bees ample room to stockpile their precious honey reserves.

To help facilitate honey extraction, beekeepers employ a clever device known as a queen excluder. This specialized grid between the brood chamber and the super allows worker bees to pass through freely while preventing the larger queen bee from ascending into the honey storage area.

With the queen confined to her designated domain below, beekeepers can harvest honey from the super without fear of encountering brood or disrupting the hive. It's a win-win situation, ensuring a bountiful harvest while safeguarding the queen.

For new-bees stepping into the fascinating world of beekeeping, the ideal starting point is getting a nuc, short for nucleus colony. Picture it as a miniature version of a fully-fledged honey bee colony, carefully crafted from larger colonies, bee packages, or captured swarms. At the heart of the nuc lies the queen bee, distinguishable by her slightly larger size and elongated shiny abdomen.

But what about her loyal subjects? Enter the worker bees, the tireless females that form the backbone of the hive's workforce. These industrious bees carry out many tasks, from foraging for nectar and pollen to tending to the queen and nurturing the brood. The male bees, or drones, sole purpose is to mate with the queen and die shortly after completing the job.

Once the queen returns from her mating flight, she wastes no time laying eggs within the wax frame cells. Over two weeks, these eggs undergo a remarkable transformation.

First, they enter the larval stage, where they're nurtured with royal jelly and a nutritious blend of pollen and honey. Gradually, they outgrow their confines, filling the entire cell.

Next comes the pupal stage, a period of cocoon-spinning and metamorphosis. And finally, the adult worker bee emerges from its wax cell, ready to embark on its life's mission within the bustling hive.

Once the adult bee emerges from her cell, the real work begins. Worker bees, with a merely six-week lifespan, embark on a journey filled with diverse responsibilities. Picture it as a bustling office with each bee taking on a specific role in the hive hierarchy.

First up is the Nurse Bee, the caretaker of the hive's nursery. These diligent workers feed the developing larvae and attend to the queen's needs, ensuring the colony's future generation thrives.

Next in line are the House Bees, the cleaning crew of the hive. With meticulous attention to detail, they tidy up the hive and maintain its hygiene. They also play a crucial role in regulating the hive's temperature by fanning their wings to circulate air.

As bees climb the corporate ladder, they earn the title of Builder Bee. These skilled artisans produce beeswax and construct the intricate honeycomb structure, which serves as the hive's storage unit.

But wait, there's more! Guard Bees stand at the hive entrance, defending against intruders and maintaining security within the hive.

Last but certainly not least, bees ascend to the prestigious position of Forager. These worker bees venture into the great outdoors in search of pollen and nectar, essential resources for the hive's survival. In the scorching summer heat, foragers may even embark on water-collecting missions, bringing droplets to the house bees to cool the hive through evaporative cooling.

As a queen bee approaches the end of her reign, a remarkable succession plan unfolds within the hive. Sensing her declining health, she lays a new queen egg in a specially constructed cup. The workers will then feed this special larvae a diet exclusively of royal jelly, a nutrient-dense honey bee secretion. Once the new queen emerges, she embarks on a daring mating flight lasting 10 to 14 days. In this flight, she mates with multiple drones, storing their sperm for future use.

The old queen bee will either be killed or swarm with some of her loyal subjects. When a colony becomes too crowded, the old queen springs into action; she takes flight, seeking a new home.

The departing queen is put on a diet to reduce her weight and aid her in flight. Meanwhile, her devoted worker bees gorge themselves on honey in preparation for the journey ahead.

Once fleeing the original hive and settling in a temporary location, scout bees embark on a quest for a permanent hive site, returning with news of a potential new home. During this limbo period, beekeepers can snag the swarming bees and add them to their hives—now that's a freebee!

So, let's give a round of applause to our tiny superstars, the bees! By protecting them and creating bee-friendly environments, we ensure a thriving ecosystem for generations. Buzz on, little buddies! 💚🐝