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In a study published in PLoS Biology, Ryszard Maleszka of the Australian National University and his colleagues illuminate some of those details. One of the ways that genes are regulated is by a process called methylation. This adds chemicals called methyl groups to DNA. These then obstruct the machinery responsible for turning genetic instructions into working proteins—a phenomenon known as epigenesis. Dr Maleszka has shown that royal jelly acts, at least in part, by changing the pattern of methylation. He and his team have produced a methylation map (a “methylome”) of the DNA in honeybee brains.

Some of the major biological features that beekeepers need to understand are: basic bee nest ecology, the bee caste system, bee anatomy, the development of bee brood, worker bee sequence of duties, caste brood rearing/adult population seasonality, communication as a key to maintaining the social cohesion of the colony, queen and colony reproduction/replacement, and how to read/understand bee behavior/biology.

When encountering black, almost round bees buzzing around their home most people do not know the difference between the bumble bee and carpenter bee. There are two basic things to note that should quickly let you know which bee you are seeing: location and activity of bee and certain physical characteristics of the bee. Carpenter bees are most often noticed while they are building and tending to their nests which are simple, round openings in wood structures. If you see a bee that is boring out a perfectly round hole in wood, it is a carpenter bee. For more information about carpenter bees (biology, habits, how to control) go to the Carpenter Bee web page. Bumble bees have a fuzzy abdomen and the Carpenter Bee has a shiny abdomen.