UNION COUNTY BEEKEEPERS TEST QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026
How long has the NCSBA been in existence? - Answers NCSBA founded on January 11, 1917
Which is the largest state beekeeper's association in the USA? - Answers NCSBA
The NCSBA is a resource for information and camaraderie that will benefit both your beekeeping
experience and expertise. - Answers That was just a random piece of information
It offers many programs that encourage your involvement, enjoyment, and
continued education. - Answers That was just a random piece of information
What are the various programs and opportunities supported by NCSBA? - Answers a. They include
the NC Zoo, NC State Fair, NCSBA Master Beekeeper
Program, Golden Achievement Program, Certified Honey Producer
Program, annual judged contests for hive products and more.
What is the difference between a hobbyist beekeeper, a sideliner; and a commercial operation? -
Answers a. Hobbyist - Interest, ecology, and recreation (10 hives or fewer)
b. Sideliner - Not primary income, but actively markets bee products (tens to low hundreds of hives)
c. Commercial - Bees as a primary business, pollination, or commercial production of bee products
and bees (200+ hives, or moves bees across State lines)
What do commercial operations do throughout the year? - Answers Pollination and commercial
production of bee products and bees
How long has man been harvesting honey (and other products) from honeybees? - Answers Antiquity
(9000 BC)
When did honey bees arrive in the Americas? - Answers 1621
What are some of the various ways that they kept bees? - Answers Bee gums and skeps
Who is Rev. L.L. Langstroth and what is he most known for? - Answers Identified 'bee space' and
developed moveable frame hives
What is Bee Space? - Answers 3⁄8" wide between the frames
Who is A. I. Root? - Answers Involved in forming NCSBA
Who is Charles Dadant? - Answers Wrote "First lessons in Beekeeping"
What inventions have modernized beekeeping? - Answers Langstroth Hive, Wax Foundation and
Frames, & Smoker
What major events occurred in the US that regulated or changed methods of beekeeping? - Answers
a. 1922 Honey Bee Act passed by Congress (Restricts importation of honey
bees into the US)
b. 1967 Buckfast Bees introduced to US (Italian/German stabilized hybrid,
resists tracheal mites)
c. 1984 Tracheal mites appear in the US
d. 1985 & 1990 Africanized honey bees migrate to US (Originated from
Brazil)
e. 1987 Varroa mites show up in the US
f. 1996 Small hive beetles (SHB) found in US
g. 1997 Russian honey bees introduced to US (Improved native resistance to
varroa mites)
h. 2004 Israeli Acute Paralysis introduced to US
i. 2006 Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) identified
What major events occurred in N.C. that regulated or changed methods of beekeeping? - Answers a.
1973 The honey Bee was named the NC Official Insect
b. 1977 NC Bee and Honey Act
What is the primary importance of the honey bee? - Answers Pollination
What list of products is obtained from a bee hive? - Answers a. Beeswax, honey, pollen, royal jelly,
and venom
What are those products used for? - Answers a. Cosmetics, medicinally, and cooking
What are the various types of bees throughout the world? - Answers Western Honeybee, Bumble
bees, Squash bees, Blueberry bees, Leaf Cutter bee, Mason bee, and Carpenter bees
What are the races of bees that are kept and what are their characteristics? - Answers (Supplemental
Education Handout Top of Page 2)
a. German - (First honey bee to North America, not kept any longer)
b. Italian - (Most widely kept in the US, very good honey makers)
, c. Carniolan - (Calm, early foragers, very good honey makers, tracheal mite
resistant)
d. Caucasian - (Calm, good honey makers, propolis stores)
e. Hybrids - (hygienic behavior, honey production, aggressiveness)
What makes an Africanized Bee different from the European (or "western") honey bee? - Answers
More likely to swarm or abscond and aggressive
What threats or difficulties do Africanized bees pose to the USA and NC? - Answers Dangerous,
defensive, and aggressive
What can be done about Africanized honey bees? (NC response) - Answers a. Contact State Inspector
if a hive is unusually aggressive
b. Acquire queens through the NCSBA 'Born-N-Bred' program
c. Uncertified bees from out of state must be inspected
d. All Africanized bees should be destroyed - eliminate genetics
What is pollination? Be generally familiar with parts of a flower. - Answers Pollination is the act of
transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma; it is necessary for
plants to reproduce by fruits, seeds, nuts etc.
How do bees differ from other insects in relation to pollination capabilities? - Answers a. Flower
fidelity/ consistency - bees work one species of flowers or plant at one time
b. Simple Flowers - easy access
What crops are dependent on honey bees for pollination? - Answers Apples, melons, cranberries,
pumpkins, squash, broccoli, almonds
What crops benefit from bee pollination, but do not require bees to set fruit? - Answers
Parthenocarpy crops (Bananas and pineapples)
What crops do not require bees at all to pollinate? - Answers Monoculture crops (Alfalfa, cotton,
corn, soybean, sugar cane, tobacco, and rice
What do bees forage for outside the hive? - Answers Water, Nectar, Pollen, Resins and Saps
How do they transport what they forage for? - Answers a. Water - in honey stomach
b. Nectar- in honey stomach
c. Pollen - carried on their pollen baskets
d. Resins and Saps - carried on pollen baskets
Where are foraged items stored in the hive? - Answers a. Water - not stored, used to cool hive by
evaporation
b. Nectar - outer frames of hive and top arch of frames
c. Pollen - by the front door on the outer frames
d. Propolis - seal cracks and fill crevices
What changes, if any, do the bees make to the items they forage for? - Answers a. Bee Bread -
Mixture of pollen, nectar, saliva, and water used to feed developing larvae
b. Honey- Nectar is transferred to house bees which blow bubbles into the nectar and add enzymes
such as invertase and glucose oxidase to make it into honey.
c. Propolis - workers chew the resins, combine it with beeswax and stomach content depending on
how and where they want to use it.
What does nectar provide? - Answers energy
What does pollen provide? - Answers Protein, amino acids, lipids, and minerals
How far do bees fly when foraging? - Answers 3 miles one way to preferred pollen or nectar source.
Usually more like 1.5 miles.
What are the different segments of the bee? - Answers Head, Thorax, Abdomen
What primary structures (organs and glands) are located in each segment? What are their functions? -
Answers a. Head (eyes, antenna, mandible/ jaw, proboscis, complex brain, glands)
b. Thorax (Wings and legs)
c. Abdomen (Wax and scent glands [workers only], stinger [workers and queen only])
What are the different sensory structures of an adult bee (how do bees see/hear/smell/taste/feel?) -
Answers a. See - eyes
b. Hear - antennas
c. Smell - antennas
d. Taste - proboscis
e. Feel - antennas
How long has the NCSBA been in existence? - Answers NCSBA founded on January 11, 1917
Which is the largest state beekeeper's association in the USA? - Answers NCSBA
The NCSBA is a resource for information and camaraderie that will benefit both your beekeeping
experience and expertise. - Answers That was just a random piece of information
It offers many programs that encourage your involvement, enjoyment, and
continued education. - Answers That was just a random piece of information
What are the various programs and opportunities supported by NCSBA? - Answers a. They include
the NC Zoo, NC State Fair, NCSBA Master Beekeeper
Program, Golden Achievement Program, Certified Honey Producer
Program, annual judged contests for hive products and more.
What is the difference between a hobbyist beekeeper, a sideliner; and a commercial operation? -
Answers a. Hobbyist - Interest, ecology, and recreation (10 hives or fewer)
b. Sideliner - Not primary income, but actively markets bee products (tens to low hundreds of hives)
c. Commercial - Bees as a primary business, pollination, or commercial production of bee products
and bees (200+ hives, or moves bees across State lines)
What do commercial operations do throughout the year? - Answers Pollination and commercial
production of bee products and bees
How long has man been harvesting honey (and other products) from honeybees? - Answers Antiquity
(9000 BC)
When did honey bees arrive in the Americas? - Answers 1621
What are some of the various ways that they kept bees? - Answers Bee gums and skeps
Who is Rev. L.L. Langstroth and what is he most known for? - Answers Identified 'bee space' and
developed moveable frame hives
What is Bee Space? - Answers 3⁄8" wide between the frames
Who is A. I. Root? - Answers Involved in forming NCSBA
Who is Charles Dadant? - Answers Wrote "First lessons in Beekeeping"
What inventions have modernized beekeeping? - Answers Langstroth Hive, Wax Foundation and
Frames, & Smoker
What major events occurred in the US that regulated or changed methods of beekeeping? - Answers
a. 1922 Honey Bee Act passed by Congress (Restricts importation of honey
bees into the US)
b. 1967 Buckfast Bees introduced to US (Italian/German stabilized hybrid,
resists tracheal mites)
c. 1984 Tracheal mites appear in the US
d. 1985 & 1990 Africanized honey bees migrate to US (Originated from
Brazil)
e. 1987 Varroa mites show up in the US
f. 1996 Small hive beetles (SHB) found in US
g. 1997 Russian honey bees introduced to US (Improved native resistance to
varroa mites)
h. 2004 Israeli Acute Paralysis introduced to US
i. 2006 Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) identified
What major events occurred in N.C. that regulated or changed methods of beekeeping? - Answers a.
1973 The honey Bee was named the NC Official Insect
b. 1977 NC Bee and Honey Act
What is the primary importance of the honey bee? - Answers Pollination
What list of products is obtained from a bee hive? - Answers a. Beeswax, honey, pollen, royal jelly,
and venom
What are those products used for? - Answers a. Cosmetics, medicinally, and cooking
What are the various types of bees throughout the world? - Answers Western Honeybee, Bumble
bees, Squash bees, Blueberry bees, Leaf Cutter bee, Mason bee, and Carpenter bees
What are the races of bees that are kept and what are their characteristics? - Answers (Supplemental
Education Handout Top of Page 2)
a. German - (First honey bee to North America, not kept any longer)
b. Italian - (Most widely kept in the US, very good honey makers)
, c. Carniolan - (Calm, early foragers, very good honey makers, tracheal mite
resistant)
d. Caucasian - (Calm, good honey makers, propolis stores)
e. Hybrids - (hygienic behavior, honey production, aggressiveness)
What makes an Africanized Bee different from the European (or "western") honey bee? - Answers
More likely to swarm or abscond and aggressive
What threats or difficulties do Africanized bees pose to the USA and NC? - Answers Dangerous,
defensive, and aggressive
What can be done about Africanized honey bees? (NC response) - Answers a. Contact State Inspector
if a hive is unusually aggressive
b. Acquire queens through the NCSBA 'Born-N-Bred' program
c. Uncertified bees from out of state must be inspected
d. All Africanized bees should be destroyed - eliminate genetics
What is pollination? Be generally familiar with parts of a flower. - Answers Pollination is the act of
transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma; it is necessary for
plants to reproduce by fruits, seeds, nuts etc.
How do bees differ from other insects in relation to pollination capabilities? - Answers a. Flower
fidelity/ consistency - bees work one species of flowers or plant at one time
b. Simple Flowers - easy access
What crops are dependent on honey bees for pollination? - Answers Apples, melons, cranberries,
pumpkins, squash, broccoli, almonds
What crops benefit from bee pollination, but do not require bees to set fruit? - Answers
Parthenocarpy crops (Bananas and pineapples)
What crops do not require bees at all to pollinate? - Answers Monoculture crops (Alfalfa, cotton,
corn, soybean, sugar cane, tobacco, and rice
What do bees forage for outside the hive? - Answers Water, Nectar, Pollen, Resins and Saps
How do they transport what they forage for? - Answers a. Water - in honey stomach
b. Nectar- in honey stomach
c. Pollen - carried on their pollen baskets
d. Resins and Saps - carried on pollen baskets
Where are foraged items stored in the hive? - Answers a. Water - not stored, used to cool hive by
evaporation
b. Nectar - outer frames of hive and top arch of frames
c. Pollen - by the front door on the outer frames
d. Propolis - seal cracks and fill crevices
What changes, if any, do the bees make to the items they forage for? - Answers a. Bee Bread -
Mixture of pollen, nectar, saliva, and water used to feed developing larvae
b. Honey- Nectar is transferred to house bees which blow bubbles into the nectar and add enzymes
such as invertase and glucose oxidase to make it into honey.
c. Propolis - workers chew the resins, combine it with beeswax and stomach content depending on
how and where they want to use it.
What does nectar provide? - Answers energy
What does pollen provide? - Answers Protein, amino acids, lipids, and minerals
How far do bees fly when foraging? - Answers 3 miles one way to preferred pollen or nectar source.
Usually more like 1.5 miles.
What are the different segments of the bee? - Answers Head, Thorax, Abdomen
What primary structures (organs and glands) are located in each segment? What are their functions? -
Answers a. Head (eyes, antenna, mandible/ jaw, proboscis, complex brain, glands)
b. Thorax (Wings and legs)
c. Abdomen (Wax and scent glands [workers only], stinger [workers and queen only])
What are the different sensory structures of an adult bee (how do bees see/hear/smell/taste/feel?) -
Answers a. See - eyes
b. Hear - antennas
c. Smell - antennas
d. Taste - proboscis
e. Feel - antennas
