What is a Nuc, Queen, Drone and Worker bee?
I am interested in getting bees but I need to learn a lot first :wink:
Misterbeelady :tongue:
Bees live in colonies. A Nuc is a small 'baby' colony - a nucleus from which a large colony can grow.
A Queen is the only true female in the colony - her sole job is to lay eggs. A Drone is a male bee - they usually only exist during the season, and who's sole purpose in life appears to be to mate with a virgin queen. Worker bees (neutered females) constitute the bulk of the colony - they do just about everything else - and there's a helluva lot to be done in the life of a hive.
No need to buy any books just yet - there's plenty of time for spending money later, and you'll probably be doing a lot of that. Most people do. :smile:
I've just had a look in my 'Library' folder for a 'Beekeeping 101' book , and there's a book there by David Cramp: http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Beekeeping/A_Practical_Manual_of_Beekeeping.pdf
I've only skimmed a few pages, but it looks ok and covers the basics. So - go cut your teeth on that !
An interesting name you've chosen ...
LJ
I would suggest , you need to find the local bee club where you live and go to the club meeting!There you will find all the help you will ever need
Quote from: Blacksheep on February 04, 2016, 05:49:40 PM
I would suggest , you need to find the local bee club where you live and go to the club meeting!There you will find all the help you will ever need
My town has no bee keeping club, but I could find a mentor :shocked:
I like my username :tongue:
Misterbeelady; this forum was my mentor. I now run 20 hives and have made my investment back in my first 3 years. This is the beginning of year 4.
Quote from: GSF on February 05, 2016, 06:29:44 AM
Misterbeelady; this forum was my mentor. I now run 20 hives and have made my investment back in my first 3 years. This is the beginning of year 4.
I hope it helps me too. :grin:
How many hives should I start with?? I was thinking of getting 3 but that might be(e) too difficult for my first hives?
I have always recommended minimum 2, maximum 5 for a new beek. You will see why as you go along.
>What is a Nuc, Queen, Drone and Worker bee?
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbasics.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesterms.htm
From the above links:
"Nuc, nuclei, nucleus = A small colony of bees often used in queen rearing or the box in which the small colony of bees resides. The term refers to the fact that the essentials, bees, brood, food, a queen or the means to make one, are there for it to grow into a colony, but it is not a full sized colony."
"Queen = A fully developed female bee responsible for all the egg laying of a colony."
"Drone = The male honeybee which comes from an unfertilized egg (and is therefore haploid) laid by a queen or less commonly, a laying worker."
"Worker bees = Infertile female bee whose reproductive organs are only partially developed, responsible for carrying out all the routine of the colony."