Question

Wax glands in honey bees are present on the segments
A) 2,3 and 4 abdominal segments of queens.
B) 2,3,4 and 5 abdominal segments of workers.
C) 1,2, and 3 abdominal segments of workers.
D) 1,2,3, and 4 abdominal segments of queens.

Answer 1

Hint: There are mainly three segments in the honeybee’s body - head, thorax, and abdomen. Further - three segments of the thorax, six visible segments of the abdomen. The wax layering in the exoskeleton of the bee’s body plays a crucial role and protects the bee’s body from losing water.

Complete Step by step Answer:
- Worker bees are the one who produces the wax. There are 8 wax- producing glands mainly 2,3,4 and 5 in the abdominal segments of worker bees.
- Wax Gland is located on sternites 4,5, 6, and 7.Each sternites have two wax mirrors, from where the secretion of wax takes place.
- Sternites consisted of modified epidermal cells. The cells usually become large when the gland will get active, which is a secret liquid. The liquid gradually hardens and forms a wax scale.
- Now a wax scale from the mirror is moved by the hind legs of bees to the mandibles.
- the wax glands are usually active in those worker bees who fed with a pollen grain during their first 5- 6 days of life
- The age of the worker bees defines the size of the wax glands. The wax gland also sheds off when worker bees take more flights during the day.
So, the correct answer is, "2,3,4 and 5 abdominal segments of workers".

Additional information:
Use of honey bee wax
- Wax Gland is present on the ventral side of the abdomen of bees through which natural secretions of beeswax takes place.
- it is also used to build bee's comb cells, in which the storage of honey and pollen takes place and young bees are raised.
Beeswax can be taken out by boiling the honeycomb in water. Beeswax is also an amazing natural substance and can be used in many ways- in making candles, lip balm, skin moisturizer, pain relief, itch relief, cooking, etc.

Note:
- The bee wax is a mixture of many chemical compounds.
- the beeswax usually has a low melting point because if we heat the wax above 85 degrees celsius, the color will fade or discoloration of wax occurs.