There are roughly 20,000 species of bees throughout the world, though when we speak of bees most people think of honeybees or bumblebees. These species are social bees that live in hives or colonies and are not generally aggressive. The only time bees sting is when an intruder, be it animal or human, comes too close to a nest, disturbs it, or physically harms a bee. The threatened bee will not only sting in defense, but also release an “alarm pheromone” to attract other bees, signaling them to join in the attack.
Honeybees are responsible for the characteristic wax hives we associate with bees and beekeeping. Hives have highly organized social structures. A single queen is at the heart of every hive, surrounded by female worker bees. Worker bees serve different functions in different stages of their lives. These bees start off feeding larvae and cleaning the hive, progress to building the honeycomb, and eventually become foragers. Unlike queen bees and worker bees, male bees or drones do not possess stingers.
Because worker bees will release an alarm pheromone if threatened, beekeepers are very careful to avoid accidentally crushing or harming bees when harvesting honey. Many beekeepers wear protective clothing including gloves, a body suit and veiled hat. Some use “bee smokers” to cover up alarm pheromones that might result from working in the hive. Smoke also causes bees to gorge on honey, a natural response to possibly having to move the hive in case of fire.
Which of the following is NOT true about worker bees?
They keep the nest clean.
They are also known as drones.
They are female bees that build the honeycomb.
They release an alarm pheromone when disturbed or harmed.
Record your answer