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Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />Workers <br />)LJXUH&ORVHXSRIDZRUNHUEHH SKRWRE\-XG\*ULHVHGLHFN  <br />Development <br />7KHGHYHORSPHQWDOVWDJHRIWKHZRUNHUKRQH\EHH <br /> )LJXUH ODVWVDERXWGD\VRUORQJHUWKDQ <br />WKHTXHHQ<br />VGHYHORSPHQWDOSHULRG7KHDGXOWZRUNHU <br />is reproductively incomplete, with rudimentary <br />ovaries and no spermatheca. Under normal <br />conditions she cannot lay eggs. Although she is the <br />VPDOOHVWEHHRIWKHFRORQ\WKHZRUNHUKRQH\EHH <br />SRVVHVVHVVSHFLDOL]HGVWUXFWXUDOIHDWXUHVWKDWDOORZ <br />KHUWRSHUIRUPDPXOWLWXGHRIWDVNVHVVHQWLDOWRWKH <br />FRQWLQXHGH[LVWHQFHRIWKHFRORQ\7ZRVXFKWDVNVRI <br />FUXFLDOLPSRUWDQFHWREHHNHHSHUVDUHFROOHFWLQJDQ <br />DEXQGDQFHRIQHFWDU WRPDNHKRQH\ DQGUHJXODWLQJ <br />temperature, allowing the colony to be a perennial <br />HQWLW\3UREDEO\WKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWWDVNUHODWLQJWR <br />WKHYDOXHRIKRQH\EHHVWRERWKÀRZHULQJSODQWVDQG <br />KXPDQNLQGLVWKHFROOHFWLQJRISODQWSROOHQDQGQHFWDU <br />This activity provides the pollination that enables <br />plant production of seeds resulting in fruits, nuts, and <br />vegetables. Pollination services are fundamental to <br />PRGHUQDJULFXOWXUH:RUNHUVFROOHFWZDWHUWRGULQN <br />DQGWRFRROWKHQHVW:RUNHUVDOVRFROOHFWVWLFN\SODQW <br />resins called propolis. Propolis is not consumed <br />E\KRQH\EHHVEXWLWVUHPDUNDEOHDQWLPLFURELDO <br />properties are an important component of the social <br />immunity and health of the colony. <br />Lifespan <br />7KHOLIHVSDQRIDQLQGLYLGXDOZRUNHUYDULHVIURP <br />season to season. Studies have shown that the life <br />H[SHFWDQF\RIDGXOWZRUNHUKRQH\EHHVHPHUJLQJLQ <br />HDUO\VSULQJDYHUDJHVDERXWGD\VGHFUHDVHVWR <br />GD\VLQHDUO\VXPPHUEXWFDQEHXSWRGD\V <br />for bees emerging in early fall and surviving through <br />ZLQWHU)RUDJLQJWDNHVDWROORQEHHVOLPLWLQJWKHLU <br />lifespans. In the fall, bees store protein and lipids <br />which, in combination with not foraging during winter, <br />enable them to survive longer periods of time. In late <br />summer and early spring, as the queen begins laying <br />again, the older bees die off and are replaced by a <br />QHZ\RXQJZRUNIRUFH <br />Division of Labor <br />8QGHUQRUPDOFRQGLWLRQVDZRUNHUSHUIRUPVD <br />VHTXHQFHRIWDVNVGXULQJKHUOLIHVSDQVWDUWLQJZLWK <br />YDULRXVLQKLYHDFWLYLWLHVOLNHFHOOFOHDQLQJDQGODUYDH <br />feeding. Eventually she will perform such activities <br />as comb construction and nectar ripening. Well over <br />half of her life is spent inside the hive and during <br />this period she is generally referred to as a hive <br />bee or nurse bee. Later, she progresses to foraging <br />for nectar and pollen and is called a ¿HOGEHH or <br />forager. $OOZRUNHUVLQDFRORQ\KRZHYHUDUHFDSDEOH <br />RISHUIRUPLQJDOOZRUNHUWDVNVDQGFDQUHVSRQG <br />appropriately as conditions warrant.