Beekeeping Fundamentals Practice Exam

Question 1 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is bee-friendly gardening?

Holding extra queens in mini-colonies for use as needed. A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction; needs immediate epinephrine. Plant reproductive cells; the colony's protein source. Native flowers, sequential bloom, no pesticides, water source.

Question 2 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the inspection frequency?

A young worker feeding larvae and the queen. Every 7-10 days during active season; less frequent off-season. A box added above the brood box to store honey. Syrup is liquid sugar feed; patty is solid protein supplement.

Question 3 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is varroa mite?

A queen cell on the face of a comb, made to replace a failing queen. A vertical hive resembling a tree hollow, with top bars and no frames. The most damaging parasite of honey bees globally. Alcohol wash, sugar roll, sticky board count.

Question 4 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What are Russian bees known for?

Varroa resistance; can be a bit defensive. Queen presence, eggs, larvae, brood pattern, food stores, mites, disease. A few weeks during the warm season; expelled before winter. When a colony replaces its failing queen without swarming.

Question 5 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the takeaway of beekeeping?

Beekeeping is partnership with a wild insect; humility and patience yield sweetness. Honey from a specific flower source; ID requires pollen analysis. Cell cleaning → nurse → wax-building → guard → forager. Apis mellifera (European honey bee).

Question 6 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the value of honey bee pollination?

Queen presence, eggs, larvae, brood pattern, food stores, mites, disease. Estimated $15+ billion annually in US agriculture alone. A male bee whose only purpose is to mate with virgin queens. Rapid colony expansion as flowers bloom.

Question 7 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the water content of finished honey?

Bees regurgitate nectar, evaporate water, and enzymatically transform sugars. 17-18%. The practice of maintaining colonies of honey bees, typically in human-built hives. Solitary native bee; excellent pollinator; great for backyards.

Question 8 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the outer cover?

Local is small-scale, often raw; commercial may be blended and processed. A period with little nectar; bees may rob or starve. The weatherproof top of the hive. Hybrid of African and European bees; more defensive but productive.

Question 9 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the impact of climate on beekeeping?

Combination of pesticides, parasites, pathogens, nutrition, stressors. A protein supplement when natural pollen is scarce. The science of identifying honey origin via pollen content. Climate change shifts flowering times and stressors.

Question 10 Beekeeping Fundamentals

How is honey made?

30-60 lbs (15-25 kg) per colony per year in temperate climates. ~700+ native bee species in North America; many declining. Swarming leaves a daughter colony; absconding leaves nothing. Bees regurgitate nectar, evaporate water, and enzymatically transform sugars.

Question 11 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the joy of beekeeping?

Summer workers ~6 weeks; winter workers can survive 4-6 months. 21 days from egg to adult. Connection with seasons, contribution to ecology, fascinating biology, sweet rewards. A vertical hive resembling a tree hollow, with top bars and no frames.

Question 12 Beekeeping Fundamentals

How do varroa harm bees?

An infertile female; performs nearly all colony tasks. They feed on bee fat bodies and transmit viruses. Intentionally crystallized honey with smooth texture. Workers clustering around an unaccepted queen, often killing her.

Question 13 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the importance of native bee conservation?

The scientific name for the destructive varroa mite. The 3/8-inch (~9.5mm) gap bees won't fill with wax or propolis; key to movable frames. A common honey super depth; lighter to lift than deep. ~700+ native bee species in North America; many declining.

Question 14 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What are tracheal mites?

Maximum storage with minimum wax use; mathematically efficient. Released by workers to signal hive location or to call swarms. Microscopic mites in bee airways; mostly managed now. Scrape (don't squeeze) the stinger; ice; antihistamine; watch for anaphylaxis.

Question 15 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is brood?

A box designed to attract swarms; can grow an apiary cheaply. Bee larvae and pupae developing in cells. Honey bees are introduced (Europe); native bees include bumblebees, mason bees, leafcutters. Helping colonies survive winter with sufficient food and ventilation.

Question 16 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a queen bee?

The single reproductive female in a colony; lays all the eggs. 21 days from egg to adult. Moving colonies for crop pollination. Alcohol wash, sugar roll, sticky board count.

Question 17 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What are Italian bees known for?

Gentle, prolific, popular with beginners; can rob neighbors. A larger, peanut-shaped cell where queens develop. A waxy substance secreted by glands on worker bees' abdomens. The technical term for beekeeping.

Question 18 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is deformed wing virus (DWV)?

A common viral disease, often spread by varroa. 2-5 years; longest of any bee. Bees form a ball in the center of the hive to maintain warmth. A period with little nectar; bees may rob or starve.

Question 19 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is apiculture?

Concentrated, modified nectar stored as food. Bee larvae and pupae developing in cells. The technical term for beekeeping. Workers clustering around an unaccepted queen, often killing her.

Question 20 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is grafting (beekeeping)?

A low-tech method of crushing comb and straining honey through cloth. A less severe bacterial brood disease. Move slowly, no sudden moves; use smoke sparingly; avoid blocking entrance. Transferring larvae into queen cell cups for queen production.

Question 21 Beekeeping Fundamentals

Who described the waggle dance?

Karl von Frisch, Nobel Prize 1973. A defensive mechanism; honey bees usually die after stinging humans. A device that confuses robbers but allows residents to navigate. Honey from a specific flower source; ID requires pollen analysis.

Question 22 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a swarm trap?

Laying eggs (up to 2,000/day at peak) and producing pheromones. A box designed to attract swarms; can grow an apiary cheaply. Sold as supplement; effects on humans not definitively proven. The most damaging parasite of honey bees globally.

Question 23 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is pollen?

The technical term for beekeeping. Plant reproductive cells; the colony's protein source. A devastating bacterial disease; spores last decades. Comb cells used for storing honey.

Question 24 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is beekeeping?

A queen cell on the face of a comb, made to replace a failing queen. Often by destruction (burning) of infected colonies in many jurisdictions. Hexagonal cells built from beeswax used for brood and storage. The practice of maintaining colonies of honey bees, typically in human-built hives.

Question 25 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a nectar flow?

24 days from egg to adult. A queen who hasn't mated yet. A period when many flowers are producing nectar. Removing the wax caps over honey-filled cells.

Question 26 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the difference between raw and processed honey?

A box designed to attract swarms; can grow an apiary cheaply. Solitary native bee; excellent pollinator; great for backyards. Communicates food source close to the hive (<50 m). Raw is unheated and unfiltered; processed may be heated and finely filtered.

Question 27 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the cost to start beekeeping?

A tool generating cool smoke to calm bees during inspections. 21 days from egg to adult. Alcohol wash, sugar roll, sticky board count. $300-$600+ for one starter hive with bees, plus protective gear and tools.

Question 28 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a Langstroth hive?

A larger, peanut-shaped cell where queens develop. The most common modern hive design with movable frames. Connection with seasons, contribution to ecology, fascinating biology, sweet rewards. Gentle, rapid spring buildup, good for cold climates.

Question 29 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a flow hive?

A solitary bee cutting leaf pieces for nest construction. A modern hive with built-in honey extraction; controversial among traditionalists. 24 days from egg to adult. Topping up reserves if natural stores are insufficient.

Question 30 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is winter cluster?

Bees form a ball in the center of the hive to maintain warmth. Reduces rejection and balling. A horizontal hive with bars rather than full frames. A queen who hasn't mated yet.

Question 31 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the most important beginner advice?

Find a local mentor, read widely, start with two hives, expect a learning year. Intentionally crystallized honey with smooth texture. Native flowers, sequential bloom, no pesticides, water source. A large, fuzzy native pollinator; smaller colonies; effective pollinators.

Question 32 Beekeeping Fundamentals

Why hexagonal cells?

Maximum storage with minimum wax use; mathematically efficient. Indicates honey hasn't been heated or finely filtered; valued by consumers. Placing a queen in a colony with slow-release cage for acceptance. A phenomenon where worker bees abandon the hive; causes are multifaceted.

Question 33 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is integrated pest management for varroa?

Combining biological, mechanical, and chemical approaches. The practice of maintaining colonies of honey bees, typically in human-built hives. Reduce entrances, avoid spills, equalize colony strengths. A device spinning frames to fling honey out by centrifugal force.

Question 34 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the round dance?

Communicates food source close to the hive (<50 m). A grid that workers can pass through but the queen can't; keeps brood out of honey supers. A box added above the brood box to store honey. Backyard: 1-5 hives, hobby; commercial: 100s-1000s for revenue.

Question 35 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a bait hive?

Honey made from aphid secretions on tree leaves; common in forests. Low water content and acidity prevent microbial growth. Gentle, prolific, popular with beginners; can rob neighbors. Same as a swarm trap; uses lemongrass oil and old comb to attract swarms.

Question 36 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the importance of mentorship?

A device that confuses robbers but allows residents to navigate. Local mentors and clubs invaluable; beekeeping is regional and complex. Hard candy that workers chew through to release the new queen. 50-100 flowers per foraging trip.

Question 37 Beekeeping Fundamentals

How many bees in a typical colony?

Released when bees sting; signals other bees to defend. Varies; many require small-scale exemptions and proper labeling. Used by bees to seal cracks and sanitize; humans use for tinctures. 20,000 in winter to 60,000+ at peak season.

Question 38 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the egg-to-adult time for a worker?

21 days from egg to adult. Treatment for varroa, ensuring honey stores, mouse guards, condensing colonies. Beekeeping is partnership with a wild insect; humility and patience yield sweetness. A microsporidian disease affecting bee gut.

Question 39 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is robbing?

A side product of beekeeping; used in candles, cosmetics, food preservation. When bees from other colonies (or wasps) steal honey from a weak hive. Summer workers ~6 weeks; winter workers can survive 4-6 months. Varies; many require small-scale exemptions and proper labeling.

Question 40 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is a dearth?

A wooden block restricting hive entrance size. Connection with seasons, contribution to ecology, fascinating biology, sweet rewards. A period with little nectar; bees may rob or starve. Low water content and acidity prevent microbial growth.

Question 41 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is migratory beekeeping?

Estimated $15+ billion annually in US agriculture alone. Moving colonies for crop pollination. Used by bees to seal cracks and sanitize; humans use for tinctures. A specific location where drones gather waiting for queens.

Question 42 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is labeling for honey sale?

One queen, thousands of workers, a few hundred drones during summer. Often net weight, source, beekeeper info, batch identification. Microscopic mites in bee airways; mostly managed now. A queen cell on the bottom of a comb, made to produce a new queen during swarming.

Question 43 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What are good bee plants?

Released by workers to signal hive location or to call swarms. The science of identifying honey origin via pollen content. Coordinate behavior, identify members, signal status and needs. Lavender, sage, borage, sunflowers, clover, fruit trees, native wildflowers.

Question 44 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What are common neighbors' concerns?

The deep box housing the brood nest. Common phrase for the natural intelligence of colony organization. 10-20 trips on a productive day. Stinging, swarms; communication and good practices help.

Question 45 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the importance of pollinators?

Beekeepers with enough hives for partial income. Bee larvae and pupae developing in cells. They pollinate ~1/3 of human food crops. A class of pesticides implicated in pollinator declines.

Question 46 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is honey extraction?

Alcohol wash, sugar roll, sticky board count. Moving colonies for crop pollination. Removing honey from frames, typically with an uncapping tool and extractor. When a colony replaces its failing queen without swarming.

Question 47 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is the egg-to-adult time for a drone?

Sugar-water feeding; 1:1 in spring, 2:1 in fall. Diverse flowering plants and pesticide-free environments support bees. 24 days from egg to adult. Removing honey from frames, typically with an uncapping tool and extractor.

Question 48 Beekeeping Fundamentals

What is foundation?

The technical term for beekeeping. A wax or plastic sheet with cell impressions to guide comb-building. Cell cleaning → nurse → wax-building → guard → forager. 30-60 lbs (15-25 kg) per colony per year in temperate climates.

Question 49 Beekeeping Fundamentals

How is AFB controlled?

Often by destruction (burning) of infected colonies in many jurisdictions. Tracks hive history, queen origins, treatments, harvests. Karl von Frisch, Nobel Prize 1973. The 3/8-inch (~9.5mm) gap bees won't fill with wax or propolis; key to movable frames.

Question 50 Beekeeping Fundamentals

How long does a queen live?

~3% mites per 100 bees (varies by treatment recommendations). A modern hive with built-in honey extraction; controversial among traditionalists. 30-60 lbs (15-25 kg) per colony per year in temperate climates. 2-5 years; longest of any bee.