Beeswax and Brood Cells#
1 . Who produces wax comb and how?
Worker bees produce wax scales from wax glands located on the underside of their abdomen. These scales are molded and shaped into beeswax which is the framework for comb construction.
2 . How many different brood cells are found in a hive?
Three: worker, drone, & queen. Cells are also used for pollen and honey storage
3 . How do capped worker cells look different from capped drone cells?
Worker cells occupy the central regions of a comb face
Uniformly flat faced
Drone cells concentrate at the bottom edges of the comb face
More rounded and bullet shaped
4 . How can you distinguish a queen cell from other cells?
Size and shape and resemble a peanut
Oriented in a vertical position relative to the comb face
Relatively few in number (up to 20 per colony)
5 . When looking at queen cells, how can you tell the difference between a queen that has emerged normally and a queen that was aborted?
Cells that have emerged normally will have an opening at the tip
Cells that have been aborted or killed are open on the side
6 . What is the difference between a queen supersedure cell and a swarm cell?
a. A supersedure or emergency cell is a cell created by workers to replace a failing queen and they usually occur on the comb face and not along the edge or bottom of the frame. b. Swarm cells are cells created in anticipation of the colonies desire to reproduce - swarm. They are more numerous, occur at various stages of maturity, and are associated with spring build-up or nectar flow.
7 . How does the covering of brood cells differ from the covering of honey or pollen cells?
Capped honey cells are slightly indented versus capped worker cells that have a slight protrusion to them. Pollen is not capped.
8 . What is propolis and what is it used for?
Propolis is used to seal/glue cracks in the hive and to line the brood cells. Propolis has antimicrobial properties which helps with the overall health of the colony.