GAME OF HIVEST E A C H I N G A B O U T B E E S I N T H E C L A S S R O O M

AT L A N T I C S C I E N C E T E A C H E R S ’ C O N F E R E N C E

2 0 1 6

WHO AM I?• Assistant Coordinator of Interpretation with the Nova Scotia Museum

of Natural History

– Leading and developing interpretation programs

– Care of live animals (including honey bees!)

• Completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Environmental Studies

• Continuing education through workshops and certificates, such as

beekeeping through Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture.

O B J E C T I V E ST E A C H E R S W I L L H A V E AT L E A S T 3 A C T I V I T I E S T H E Y C A N D O I N T H E C L A S S R O O M B A S E D O N W H AT T H E Y ’ V E L E A R N E D A B O U T B E E S I N N O V A S C OT I A .

T E A C H E R S W I L L L E A R N T H E B A S I C C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S A N D F A C T S A B O U T B E E S I N N O V A S C OT I A ( I N C L U D I N G D I F F E R E N T T Y P E S ) .

T E A C H E R S W I L L L E A R N S P E C I F I C F A C T S A B O U T H O N E Y B E E S I N N O V A S C OT I A , A N I N T R O D U C E D S P E C I E S , I N C L U D I N G A N AT O M Y, L I F E C Y C L E , H O W H O N E Y I S M A D E , L I F E I N T H E H I V E , A N D C U R R E N T T H R E AT S T O B E E S .

T E A C H E R S W I L L R E C E I V E A C C E S S T O A N E W O N L I N E R E S O U R C E W H I C H W I L L F A C I L I TAT E T H E I R A C C E S S T O “ R E A L ” B E E I N F O R M AT I O N F R O M N O V A S C OT I A , B A S E D O N T H E B E E H I V E AT T H E M U S E U M O F N AT U R A L H I S T O R Y.

WHAT IS A BEE?• A bee is a flying insect.

• Bees mainly eat pollen and nectar.

• Most bees live in nests

underground.

WHAT DO BEESEAT?

WHERE DOES A BEE LIVE?

TYPES OF BEES• More than 20,000 species of bees

worldwide, with more than 200

species in Nova Scotia alone!

• Common bees in Eastern Canada

include:

– Honey bees

– Bumble bees

– Leafcutter bees

– Sweat bees

– Carpenter bees

Honey bee scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Genus: Apis

Species: A. mellifera

LIFECYCLE

Similar lifecycles: Darkling beetles

(mealworms), butterflies and ladybugs.

Adult

Egg

Larva

Pupa

Photo: Model of Honey bee worker lifecycle

HONEY BEES VS. BUMBLE BEES• There are nearly 50 species of bumble bee in

North America.

• Bumble bees are truly social bees, however

their nests are usually smaller with different life

spans for the bees.

• Bumble bees do not make honey.

• In North America, all honey bees are members

of the same species, Apis mellifera, also known as

the European Honey Bee.

• Honey bees are an introduced species.

• Honey bees are truly social bees. They live in a

colony and divide up labour.

BUILD A BEE

A C T I V I T Y

A N A T O M Y

ANATOMY 2.0

• Sight: Three simple eyes (ocelli)

Two compound eyes

• Taste: Glossa (tongue), labial palps,

and proboscis

• Smell: Antennae

• Touch: Antennae, tarsal claws, and

hairs.

• Hear: Antennae (Johnston’s Organ)

detecting air movement; legs

detecting substrate vibrations.

‘ B E E ’ H A V I O U R A N D R O L E S

Q U E E N :

• O N E P E R H I V E

• 2 - 5 Y E A R L I F E S PA N

• L AY S 1 0 0 0 E G G S / D AY

D R O N E :

• M A L E

• M AT E S T H E N D I E S

• L I V E S A B O U T 9 0 D AY S

W O R K E R :

• F E M A L E

• L I V E S 4 - 6 W E E K S I N S U M M E R , L O N G E R I N W I N T E R

• O N LY Q U E E N C A N R E P L A C E

L I F E I N T H E H O N E Y B E E H I V E :

COMMUNICATION: THE WAGGLE DANCE

BUILD A HIVEL I F E I N T H E H O N E Y B E E H I V E

A C T I V I T Y

F L O W E R P O W E R

W H Y A R E

F L OW E R I N G

P L A N T S I M P O RTA N T

TO B E E S ?

W H Y A R E B E E S

I M P O RTA N T TO

F L OW E R I N G

P L A N T S ?

WINTER IS COMING…

The seasonal life of bees

I S I T A B E E ? M A Y B E E !

A BEE OR NOT A BEE?

A C T I V I T Y

I D E N T I F I C A T I O N T I P SBEES WASPS FLIES

Usually thick body, but with

distinction between thorax

and abdomen

Skinny body with narrow

waist, and distinction

between thorax and

abdomen

Usually short and stocky

body with little to no

distinction between thorax

and abdomen

Four wings Four wings Two wings

Usually long, slender

antennae

Usually long, slender

antennae closer together

Usually short antennae

Often very hairy Usually hairless Sometimes have hairs

Pollen collecting hairs on

belly or legs of females

No pollen collecting hairs No pollen collecting hairs

Eyes on the side of the

head

Eyes on the side of the

head

Eyes forward facing and

sometimes touching on top

of the head

THREATS, RISKS AND

HAZARDS FACING BEES

‘BEE’ING WITH BEES – THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND

• Planting bee friendly

gardens

• Honey bee societies

• Local beekeepers

• Melissophobia

Q U E S T I O N S A N D C O M M E N T S

D O N ’ T ‘ B E E ’ S HY !

W E B S I T E R E S O U R C E :

M U S E U M . N OVA S C OT I A . C A

R E S O U R C E S

F O R T E A C H E R S

B E E S