Bumblebeesaresocialinsects,i.e.thereisacertainlevelofinterrelationbetweenindividualsofthesamecolony.Thelatterisdividedintoanumberofgroups,eachwithaspecifictask.Atthetopofthehierarchystandsthequeen,whodoesnotdifferphysicallyfromtheworkersexceptfromhersize,whichismuchbiggerthanthesizeofthelargestworker.
Theearthbumblebee,BombusterrestrisisthemostcommonofthreespeciesfoundinIsrael.ItislocatedinMt.Hermon,theupperGalilee,thelowerGalilee,andMt.Carmel.ThebodyofB.terrestrisiscoveredwithblackhairsandtwostripesofyellow-brownhairs,oneontheprothorax,andtheotherontheupperpartofthesecondabdominalsegment.Thetipoftheabdomeniscoveredwithwhitehairs.Theheadisrelativelysmall;itslengthdoesnotexceeditswidth.
Thesizeofthequeenbumblebeerangesbetween20-23mminlengthwitha38-43mmwingspan.Theaveragesizeofaworkerbeerangesbetween11-17mminlengthwitha22-34mmwingspan.Themale,whohassimilarcoloringtotheworkersandqueen,variesbetween14-16mminlengthandhasawingspanof30-33mm.Unlikethequeenandworkers,themaledoesnotsting.
Thelifecycleofthebumblebeeisillustratedinthechartbelow:Inspringtime,thematedqueenleavesherhibernationharborageandseeksoutanestsite(a);Inthenest,thequeenbuildsathimble-shapedbeeswaxhoneypotinwhichshestoresnectar.Nearbysheformsalumpoffield-collectedpollen,excavatesadepressioninitandlaysoneormoreeggsinthedepression,coveringitwithwax(b);Theeggshatchandthelarvaefeedontheirbedofpollen.Astheygrow,thequeenopensthewaxcoveringandaddsmorepollenandnectar.Sheperchesonthebroodclump,incubatingthelarvaetospeedtheirdevelopment.Thelarvaematureandeachspinsacocoonofsilkinwhichitpupatesandcompletesdevelopmentintoanadult(c);Afterthenewworkersemerge,theiremptycocoonsareusedasstoragepotsforhoneyorpollen.
Morepollenlumpswitheggsaredepositedalongsideorontopoftheoldones,andthustheirregularcombgrows.Eventuallythereareenoughworkerbeestodotheforagingandhousekeepingtasks.Thequeenconcentratesonlayingeggs.Thecolonypeakstoafewhundredindividuals(d);Thecolonyswitchesfromproducingfemaleworkerstoproducingmalesandnewqueens,sometimeinmid-tolatesummer(e);Themalesleavethenestafewdaysafteremerging.Thenewqueensmatewiththemales.Theoldqueendiesbeforewinter(f);Thenewmatedqueensleavethenestandseekoutasuitableoverwinteringsitewheretheywillstaythroughoutwinter(g).
Thelifespanofthequeenrangesbetween12-24weeks(18weeksonaverage),beginningfromthemomentshestartstolayeggs.Thedevelopmenttimefromeggtoadultis3-4weeks.Thelifeexpectancyofaforagerbeeisabout3weeks,whichbringsthetotallifecycleofsuchaworkertoabout7weeks.Aworkerbee,whichspendsallhertimeinthenest,iscapableoflivingupto12weeks.
Uponfoundingthenest,amassiveegglayingtakesplacebythequeen(16-20eggsaday).Thepopulationofworkersdevelopsrapidly.Pollenand/ornectarforagingisveryintensiveinorderBumblebeesaresocialinsects,i.e.thereisacertainlevelofinterrelationbetweenindividualsofthesamecolony.Thelatterisdividedintoanumberofgroups,eachwithaspecifictask.Atthetopofthehierarchystandsthequeen,whodoesnotdifferphysicallyfromtheworkersexceptfromhersize,whichismuchbiggerthanthesizeofthelargestworker.Theearthbumblebee,B.terrestrisisthemostcommonofthreespeciesfoundinIsrael.ItislocatedinMt.Hermon,theupperGalilee,thelowerGalilee,andMt.Carmel.ThebodyofB.terrestrisiscoveredwithblackhairsandtwostripesofyellow-brownhairs,oneontheprothorax,andtheotherontheupperpartofthesecondabdominalsegment.Thetipoftheabdomeniscoveredwithwhitehairs.Theheadisrelativelysmall;itslengthdoesnotexceeditswidth.
Thesizeofthequeenbumblebeerangesbetween20-23mminlengthwitha38-43mmwingspan.Theaveragesizeofaworkerbeerangesbetween11-17mminlengthwitha22-34mmwingspan.Themale,whohassimilarcoloringtotheworkersandqueen,variesbetween14-16mminlengthandhasawingspanof30-33mm.Unlikethequeenandworkers,themaledoesnotsting.
Thelifecycleofthebumblebeeisillustratedinthechartbelow:Inspringtime,thematedqueenleavesherhibernationharborageandseeksoutanestsite(a);Inthenest,thequeenbuildsathimble-shapedbeeswaxhoneypotinwhichshestoresnectar.Nearbysheformsalumpoffield-collectedpollen,excavatesadepressioninitandlaysoneormoreeggsinthedepression,coveringitwithwax(b);Theeggshatchandthelarvaefeedontheirbedofpollen.Astheygrow,thequeenopensthewaxcoveringandaddsmorepollenandnectar.Sheperchesonthebroodclump,incubatingthelarvaetospeedtheirdevelopment.Thelarvaematureandeachspinsacocoonofsilkinwhichitpupatesandcompletesdevelopmentintoanadult(c);Afterthenewworkersemerge,theiremptycocoonsareusedasstoragepotsforhoneyorpollen.
Morepollenlumpswitheggsaredepositedalongsideorontopoftheoldones,andthustheirregularcombgrows.Eventuallythereareenoughworkerbeestodotheforagingandhousekeepingtasks.Thequeenconcentratesonlayingeggs.Thecolonypeakstoafewhundredindividuals(d);Thecolonyswitchesfromproducingfemaleworkerstoproducingmalesandnewqueens,sometimeinmid-tolatesummer(e);Themalesleavethenestafewdaysafteremerging.Thenewqueensmatewiththemales.Theoldqueendiesbeforewinter(f);Thenewmatedqueensleavethenestandseekoutasuitableoverwinteringsitewheretheywillstaythroughoutwinter(g).
Thelifespanofthequeenrangesbetween12-24weeks(18weeksonaverage),beginningfromthemomentshestartstolayeggs.Thedevelopmenttimefromeggtoadultis3-4weeks.Thelifeexpectancyofaforagerbeeisabout3weeks,whichbringsthetotallifecycleofsuchaworkertoabout7weeks.Aworkerbee,whichspendsallhertimeinthenest,iscapableoflivingupto12weeks.
Uponfoundingthenest,amassiveegglayingtakesplacebythequeen(16-20eggsaday).Thepopulationofworkersdevelopsrapidly.Pollenand/ornectarforagingisveryintensiveinordertomeetthedemandofthebrood.Thisperiodisthereforetheoptimaltimetousethehivefornaturalpollinationpurposes.Lateron,upontheappearanceofyoungqueensandmales,thecolonydeclines:thecontrolofthefounderqueenoverthecolonyloosens.Thenumberofbrooddemandingfooddecreases,andsodoesthenumberofforagers.Atthisstagetheefficiencyofthehiveforpollinationisreduced.Thecontributionofmalestopollinationvarieswiththetypeofthecrop.Malesvisitflowersonlyfornectar.Doingthisactivityenablesthemtopollinate.Thetomatoflower,forinstance,whichcompletelylacksnectar,doesnotattractbumblebeemales,hencetheircontributiontotomatopollinationisliterallyzero.
a.Inspringtime,thematedqueenleavesherhibernationharborageandseeksoutanestsite.
b.Inthenest,thequeenbuildsathimble-shapedbeeswaxhoneypotinwhichshestoresnectar.Nearbysheformsalumpoffield-collectedpollen,excavatesadepressioninitandlaysoneormoreeggsinthedepression,coveringitwithwax.
c.Theeggshatchandthelarvaefeedontheirbedofpollen.Astheygrow,thequeenopensthewaxcoveringandaddsmorepollenandnectar.Sheperchesonthebroodclump,incubatingthelarvaetospeedtheirdevelopment.Thelarvaematureandeachspinsacocoonofsilkinwhichitpupatesandcompletesdevelopmentintoanadult.
d.Afterthenewworkersemerge,theiremptycocoonsareusedasstoragepotsforhoneyorpollen.Morepollenlumpswitheggsaredepositedalongsideorontopoftheoldones,andthustheirregularcombgrows.Eventuallythereareenoughworkerbeestodotheforagingandhousekeepingtasks.Thequeenconcentratesonlayingeggs.Thecolonypeakstoafewhundredindividuals.
e.Thecolonyswitchesfromproducingfemaleworkerstoproducingmalesandnewqueens,sometimeinmid-tolatesummer.湖北天马养蜂场，加我们的微信一起学养蜂。
f.Themalesleavethenestafewdaysafteremerging.Thenewqueensmatewiththemales.Theoldqueendiesbeforewinter.
g.Thenewmatedqueensleavethenestandseekoutasuitableoverwinteringsitewheretheywillstaythroughoutwinter.