Beekeepers control the growth and development of honey bee colonies.
Apiculture is the technical term for beekeeping, derived from Apis Mellifera, the scientific name of the honey bee. Although the number of beekeepers has declined as of late in the United States, around 1,000 beekepers still exist who produce over 6,000 lbs. of honey each year, as of 2007.
Structures
A location devoted entirely to beekeeping is known as an apiary, and the basic home for a colony of bees is called a hive. Within a hive are structures known as combs, where immature bees (broods) develop, and where honey is stored. A comb is made up of a collection of hexagonal cells, and multiple combs can be held together by wax, known as brace comb. Within a hive, and between combs, are small tunnels known as bee space, which bees use to move around within the hive. Beekeepers sometimes interfere with the construction of hives and colonies, using tools like crimp-wire installed vertically in a comb to increase its strength, hive stands and double screens which separate with wire multiple colonies living in the same hive.
Tools
Beekeepers use a variety of tools to interact with the bees and to gather honey. They are often seen wearing bee veils to protect their faces from stings, and using bee brushes to move the bees away from areas they are trying to access. To remove bees from combs on a larger scale, beekeepers use a device known as a bee blower. A hive tool is used to open beehives and remove wax from inside, and pollen traps can collect pollen from bees returning to the hive. Beekeepers can actually produce new queens bees by using a grafting tool to move worker larva into position in the hive where it will be raised as a queen. Terramycin and Fumigilin-B are two common antibiotics used to help prevent diseases which endanger the colonies.
Queen Bee
The queen is a female bee and the largest of each colony. A virgin queen is one that has not yet mated, and a fertile queen is one that has. Beekeepers can use a process known as instrumental insemination to artificially inseminate a virgin queen. Since the queen is essential to the survival and continuation of a colony, beekeepers have special procedures to control her actions. Queen clipping is the process by which the queen's wings are clipped to prevent her from leaving the hive. A queen excluder can be inserted into the hive to prevent her from moving to different parts of the hive, while allowing workers to pass through.
