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Wild bees are the ancestors of today's domesticated honey bees. Mostly their habitat is areas remote from human settlements - wild forests or meadows. However, from time to time, during swarming periods, wild bees migrate and settle in close proximity to humans.
Wild bees: description with photo
Wild bees are very similar to domestic bees in terms of family structure and lifestyle, but there are some differences between these species. For example, the size of a wild bee is 3-4 times smaller than that of a domesticated bee (3.5 and 12 mm, respectively).
What wild bees look like
Unlike striped domestic insects, wild ones are predominantly monochromatic. In addition, the color range of this species of insects is paler and more subtle. Their wings are transparent and thin. You can see what wild bees look like in the photo below.
The head of this species is relatively large. Two complex faceted eyes are rigidly fixed on it, each of which has a viewing angle of about 180 °. In addition, several simple eyes are located on the top of the head, which are necessary for orientation by the sun.
A special chitinous strip, called the upper lip, covers the insect's mouth apparatus. The lower lip has evolved into a proboscis. The proboscis for collecting nectar in wild species is thin and relatively long. The organs of smell - antennae, have 11 or 12 segments (in males and females).
The sting, located at the end of the abdomen, is serrated, so it gets stuck in the victim's body. When trying to pull it out, the insect also dies.
Like all social insects, wild bees have a high social organization. At the head of the colony is the uterus, which is the progenitor of workers, young queens and drones. Between the workers, their roles are rigidly fixed, which change depending on their age: scouts, collectors, breadwinners, builders, etc.
The average number of a bee colony can range from 2 to 20 thousand individuals. Nevertheless, very small families can also be found, numbering no more than a dozen or hundreds of individuals, and even single insects.
Varieties
Bees that live in the wild come in several types:
- Solitary. They lead a solitary life: the female lays eggs herself and raises the next generation alone. Usually, these species pollinate only one species of plants (and, accordingly, feed only on its nectar). An example is the alfalfa bee, a major pollinator that is grown commercially throughout the world.
- Semi-public. They form small families of ten individuals, the purpose of which is wintering. After wintering, the family breaks up, and each insect lives the lifestyle of solitary. A typical representative is the bees-halictids.
- Public. They have a strict social structure, repeating the structure of the household. They have a much wider list of pollinated plants and are easily retrained for another type of nectar. They have very strong immunity. They are collectively protected and have aggressive behavior. Forest bees are a typical representative of the public. Forest bees are presented in the following photo.
Where do wild bees live
Forest bees live mainly in deep hollows of large trees or tall stumps, the core of which has rotted away. Usually, the entrance to the wild hive is the hole through which the hollow goes out.
Also, wild bees can settle in crevices of rocks and crevices of dry trees, and their homes are difficult to find. Unlike wasps, which build their dwellings entirely of cellulose, they can only seal up relatively narrow cracks with wax, therefore they prefer to choose ready-made structures for their dwellings with narrow passages, but having a high capacity.
Breeding features
There are no features of reproduction in these insects in comparison with domestic ones, however, taking into account the longer life span of the uterus, as well as about 1.5 times the number of eggs laid by it per year, swarming they will have a much more frequent occurrence.
Where wild bees winter
Wild bees do not have any special wintering places. The hive of wild bees, which in most cases is an empty tree trunk, begins to prepare bees for winter from September.
The inhabitants fill all possible voids with honeycombs, which are filled with honey or, in its absence, cover their edges with wax. In addition, by the end of summer and in the first month of autumn, there is a second peak in the birth rate for the season so that the family meets the winter as numerous as possible.
The benefits of honey from wild bees
The honey of these insects has a tart taste, strong aroma and greater density than home-made honey. Its color is darker, sometimes reaching brown. The concentration of bee bread and wax in it is significantly higher.
Since honey plants live far from sources of environmental pollution and collect their honey from a wider variety of plants, their honey is much healthier and more environmentally friendly compared to "home" honey. The range of application of such honey is very wide: it is used in the treatment of many diseases from acute respiratory infections to pain in joints.
Due to its composition, such honey can last longer.
How wild bees differ from domestic bees
Despite the similarities in social structure, breeding methods and adaptability to changes in ecosystems, domestic and wild bees have a large number of differences.
In addition to the previously mentioned features of color, they also differ in some anatomical features. So, in the wild, a more durable chitinous shell, especially in the chest area, and a thicker hair coat (so as not to freeze during wintering). Moreover, some species of forest insects can survive at temperatures down to -50 ° C. The shape of their wings is also very specific: their front wings are significantly longer than the hind ones.
The flight speed of an "empty" insect is about 15% higher than that of an "empty" house insect (70 and 60 km / h, respectively); although when honey plants fly with a bribe, their speeds are the same (25 km / h).
Despite the similarity of behavioral instincts, wild species are more aggressive creatures and attack any potential enemy. Their number allows them not to be afraid of almost any enemies. The toxicity of their venom is close to that of hornets, and its small volume is more than offset by a huge number of attackers.
"Wild" queens are much larger than their workers. The difference in mass can reach 5-7 times (for households, this figure is 2-2.5 times). They live up to 7 years. In total, such a uterus lays about 5 million eggs during its life, the same amount in "domestic" queens is about 5-10 times less.
Wild species also have much more persistent immunity, allowing them to resist the huge number of parasites from which domesticated forms suffer. For example, various Akarapis or Evarro ticks are not at all afraid of these insects.
How to tame wild bees
If a nest of wild honey bees is found, you can try to transfer them to an artificial hive, thus making an attempt to tame them. This is best done in the spring when they have a small brood. You can do this at other times of the year, however, when relocating, part of the family always dies, but I would like to preserve as many copies of insects as possible.
First, the inhabitants should be smoked out of their house and collected in a carrying container. This can be done by drilling several holes from the bottom of the "main entrance" to the dwelling. Next, a tube is inserted into the holes and smoke is fed through it. Insects begin to get out through the exit holes, where they can be trivially collected with a spoon and placed in swarm.
When most of the workers are in the swarm, it is necessary to transfer their uterus.
However, more often than not, the queen leaves the hive with the worker bees when about 80% of the population has left the hive.
Then the family is transferred to an apiary and settled in a hive. It is advisable to expel honey from the honeycomb of wild bees and place it in the immediate vicinity of the hive so that the bees begin filling new honeycombs with their own honey.
Are wild bees dangerous?
Wild bees in the forest or in the field can pose a serious danger to humans, since they are much more aggressive towards intruders. In addition, wild bee venom is much more concentrated and toxic than that of their domesticated counterparts.
Bee stings can cause very painful sensations with swelling of the bite site and an increase in body temperature. In addition, even if a person does not have an allergic reaction to the venom of a domestic bee, this is not a guarantee that everything will be fine with a bite received from a wild bee. Most of the manifestations of pseudo-allergy are recorded precisely with the bites of wild bees.
Ambulance for bites
If a person is attacked by wild bees, the following must be done:
- Remove the sting.
- Squeeze out the bee venom.
- Sanitize the wound (with soapy water or alcohol).
- Drink an anti-allergenic drug.
- Apply ice to the bite to reduce pain.
Conclusion
Wild bees, although dangerous neighbors, are of great benefit to nature, pollinating a large number of various forest and field plants. Due to the presence of wild bees, there are entire ecosystems, so it is highly undesirable to exterminate these insects uncontrollably. If, for some reason, wild bees have chosen a place next to a person's dwelling, they should simply be driven out of there without the need for destruction, fortunately, there are more than enough funds for this.
