An Introduction to Honey Bees

This bee-Learning Short Course will introduce you to the world's most important pollinator, the honey bee. Although there are tens of thousands of bee species worldwide, this one species (Apis mellifera) likely has the greatest impact on our lives. Honey bees are social insects, living in large communal hives that they build with wax and fill with pollen, honey, and developing bees. It is, in part, their ability to store large quantities of food that makes them so valuable to humans as both pollinators and honey producers.

This short course includes the following lessons:

1. The Importance of Bees
2. Bees as Super Pollinators
3. Adult Members of a Honey Bee Colony
4. Immature Members of a Honey Bee Colony
5. The Components of a Honey Bee Nest
6. The Life Cycle of a Honey Bee Colony

Important Information

• Software requirements: For the best user experiece use Chrome when accessing this course. Some features in this course are not be compatible with other internet browsers. 
• Lessons in this course overlap with lessons in the Apprentice and Advanced Beekeeper online courses, part of the UF/IFAS Master Beekeeper Program.
• bee-Learning Short Courses are completely self-paced, although must be completed within 60 days of registering.
• You will receive a certificate of completion for this course via email after you have passed the final assessment and completed the course exit survey.
• No refunds will be granted for this course after the course has been accessed.