Peek Inside a Beehive
The inside of a beehive is much more than just a place where bees live. For those unfamiliar with beekeeping, this world remains a mystery. From nurturing baby bees to storing food, the interior of a beehive is a well-designed space that makes survival possible. In this article, we will journey through the key areas of a hive and explore their role in bee life.
As a Master beekeeper, I have spent a lot of time looking into the world of the honey bee. While we commonly associate a beehive with its external structure, the true marvel lies within. The hive’s significance is defined by the bustling activities inside, where each bee plays a crucial role in the colony’s success.
The Beehive’s Interior Structure
The physical structure inside a honey bee hive varies a bit in shape and size. Some colonies live in managed boxes – such as the different types of beehives used by beekeepers.
Wild honey bees are quite at home in the hollow section of a tree. Regardless of size and layout, this protected space is carefully organized with designated areas for brood rearing and food storage.
Frames and Foundation in Managed Hives
In hives managed by a beekeeper, you will usually find frames that hold sheets of beehive foundation. Fitting inside the hive boxes, these individual parts of the hive make colony inspections possible.
In the wild, honey bees build their comb as they wish. The interior space will be filled with sheets of honeycomb.
Comb: Building Material of the Hive
One of most remarkable things you will find inside a beehive is honeycomb. Honey bees produce their own nest material – beeswax. (Most insects, like wasps and hornets, collect wood for nest material.)
Using beeswax produced by worker bees – each section of honeycomb contains thousands of individual wax cells.
These space-saving hexagonal cells serve as storage for honey, pollen, and bee brood-making use of every inch of space. This comb plays a pivotal role in the survival and functionality of the beehive.
Brood Chamber
One section of the beehive, usually a middle section near the bottom will be dedicated as the brood nest or chamber. Here, you will find each stage of the honey bee life cycle represented: egg, larvae, pupa, adults.
The “brood nest” varies in size from month to month, from one colony to another and even in connection with the available food resources.
This is where the queen bee fulfills her role as egg layer. You will find other bees here too. Younger workers known as nurse bees tend to the brood keeping it warm and well fed.
Every bee in the hive plays a role in maintain this important area of the hive. They work to provision the hive with food and control temperature and humidity critical to developing young.
Honey Storage – The Pantry
Honey is life to the bee colony. It is normally stored in the comb around and above the brood chamber. Each cell of honey is capped with a layer of wax to keep it clean.
These honey stores are designated for use by the bees when it is not possible to leave the hive. It is an critical part of how honey bees survive Winter safe inside the hive. Any colony without sufficient stored honey is likely to die before Spring.
Pollen – A Protein Source
Look closely at the honeycomb inside a beehive and you will see cells filled vibrant colors. Yellow or orange is most common – this is plant pollen.
Worker bees gather pollen as a protein source. The colony must have protein in order to rear young bees – honey alone is not enough.
I enjoy seeing my bees fly home with colorful balls of pollen on their hind legs. You may see honey bees or bumble bees flying around with full “pollen baskets or corbiculae”.
Like honey, pollen is stored in the cells of honey comb. However, fresh pollen would mold. Therefore, bees use their enzyme rich salvia to transform pollen into a more stable form – this is bee bread.
Propolis – A Sticky Delight
If you see a dark sticky resinous substance inside the hive, this is propolis (often called “bee glue”). Bees use propolis, a sticky resin collected from trees, to seal gaps and cracks in the hive and to strengthen the comb.
The application of propolis helps create a more hygienic environment. Human value propolis too. Some beekeepers collect propolis from their colonies and sell it.
The Hive’s Core – Worker Bees
Each bee has a specific role within the colony, and their coordinated efforts keep the hive functioning efficiently. The queen bee is critical to lay eggs for the next generation. Drone bees -the males– are needed to mate with new queens.
But, it is the worker honey bee that is the core of the colony. Numbering in the thousands, busy worker bees perform all the necessary tasks of the hive.
They are responsible for: feeding young, building honeycomb, a myriad of other tasks – and of course – bees make honey.
It is no wonder that bees (and honeycomb) are mentioned in the Bible repeatedly. The hive is a perfect representation of hard word and organization.
Seasonal Adjustments
The inside of a beehive changes somewhat with the seasons. During Winter, honey bees cluster together near stored honey to wait out the cold months.
Bees on the outer layer of the cluster serve as insulation to keep those in side the core warm. Throughout the Winter, the cluster slowly moves to stay in contact with stored honey.
Likewise, during the heat of Summer – you may see bees bearding outside the hive entrance. This helps control internal temperatures and prevents overheating.
With each change inside and outside the beehive that affects the colony, our honey bees have a plan to make it work in their favor.
FAQ
The comb serves as the bees’ home structure, storage area for honey and pollen, and a nursery for developing young.
Inside the dark interior of a hive, bees communicate with one another through pheromones, vibrations, and dances.
The brood chamber is where the queen bee lays her eggs, and where the larvae and pupae develop. Worker bees tend to the brood, keeping it warm and well-fed.
Managed hives are designed with removable frames that allow for easy inspection and harvesting of honey. Wild hives, on the other hand, are typically found in natural cavities and are built according to the bees’ needs and preferences.
In addition to bees and honeycomb, you may find propolis, pollen, honey, brood, or pests – such as wax moths or Small Hive Beetles.
Final Thoughts
The interior of a beehive is a complex ecosystem that includes many different elements-in addition to bees. Each part of the hive and every process performed by the bees is important to colony survival and productivity.
You know all those bee quotes we love about how industrious honey bees are? Those are not just fancy words – they are earned.