Iinyosi kunye Nendlela Ezihlalisana Ngayo

©Éric Tourneret

Loaded with white or yellow pollen, worker bees return to the hive with their loads of pollen.

Iinyosi zobusi zizinambuzane ezihlala ngokwamaqela/iikoloni ezininzi.Ikoloni nganye ibane mazi ekwaziyo ukuzala (ikumkanikazi) kunye namawaka waka eenyosi ezisebenzayo (iimazi ezingakwaziyo ukuzala). Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ngexesha lasehlotyeni ikoloni ibanamakhulu ambalwa eenkunzi ezibizwa ngee drones. Ngokwesiqhelo, azibikho ezi drones kwi koloni ngenyanga zobusika. Embindini wehlobo kungabakho iinyosi ezingabaseenzi ezingama 50 000 - 60 000 kwi koloni nganye, kunye nee drones kwakunye ne kumkanikazi.
De kusondele ekupheleni kweyokwindla uninzi lwee koloni zibamantshontsho akhulay (amaqanda), abizwa nge brood. Lamaqanda agcinwa kumacangca abukhandlelahra, nakwaqulathe ukutya kwalamaqela eenyosi. Ngexesha lase busika, ukukhuliswa/ukugcinwa kwamantshontsho kuyancipha okanye kumiswe, ize ikoloni ihlale ekutyeni (ubusi kunye ne pholini/pollen) ebekuqokelelwe kwaze kwagcinwa ngexesha lase hlotyeni. Kunyaka omhle umgcini zinyosi uyakwazi ukuthatha ubusi obongezelelekileyo kwi koloni, aze ashiye obaneleyo ukuze ikoloni ikwazi ukuphila kwiinyanga ezibandayo kude kufike intwasahlobo elandelayo.

Amalungu eKoloni yeeNyosi

©Waugsberg

The queen bee (centre) lays the eggs while the working bees, surrounding her forages for food.

Ikoloni yeenyosi zobusi iqulathe iindidi ezimbini zemazi, ikumkanikazi kunye nenyosi engumsebenzi. Iinkunzi zaziwe njengee drone. Ubume bentlalo bekoloni yeenyosi zobusi iyafana neyezinye izinambuzane. Kodwa noxa kunjalo, iinyosi ezikumgangatho ngamnye (umsebenzi, ikumkanikazi kunye ne drone) zinikwa imisebenzi/izikhundla ezihambelana nendima yazo eziyidlalayo.
Ehlotyeni, inyosi ezingabasebenzi ziphila malunge neeveki ezi6. Ebusika ke, kuba zingenamsebenzi ungako, zingaphil kangange nyanga ezi6. Ikumkanikazi lelona lungu likhulu lekoloni kwaye liphila iminyaka eliqela. Indima yakhe kukubeka amaqanda ukuze kwande iinyosi. Le kumkanikazi iba yiyo yodwa ekwaziyo ukuzalela amaqanda aphuma amantshontsho. Isisu sayo eside siqulathe isibeleko esivelisa amaqanda amaninzi izihlandlo ezininzi. Le kumkanikazi iyakwazi ukuhlela isini samantshontsho ngokuthi ilawule ukuchuma kwamaqanda ewabekileyo. Iqanda elichumileyo liphuma inyosi eyimazi (inyosi engumsebenzi okanye ikumkanikazi) amaqanda angachunyiswanga akhupha iinkunzi (drones). Olu lawulo lubalulekile kwimpilo ntle ye koloni, njengoko ikoloni kufuneka iqulathe inani elikhulu labasebenzi ezizakwenza ubunintsi bomsebenzi.

©Chris Daly

Iidrones zinkulu kunabasebenzi, kodwa azikho nkulu ukwedlula ikumkanikazi. Indima yazo njengee nkunzi kukukhwela ikumkanikazi ukuze ikwazi ukuzalela amaqanda. Amalungu esini se drone athatha indawo enkulu kwisisu sayo. Iidrones ziphila iinyanga eziliqela ngexesha lasehlotyeni, kodwa ziyagxothwa kwi koloni xa kufike ixesha lasebusika.
Iinyosi ezingabasebenzi zenza unintsi lwemisebenzi ye koloni. Imisebenzi efana nokucoca izisele, ukutyisa amantshontsho, ukuvelisa intlaka, ukwakha amacangca, ukwenza imingxunya engenisa umoya kwindawo yazo, ukuzingela ukutya nokujika incindi ibebu busi. Imisebenzi eyenziwayo ihambelana neminyaka. Umzekelo, abona basebenzi bancinci bavamise ukusebenza njengabacoci phakathi kwi koloni, logama abasebenzi abasele bekhulile bezingela ukutya.

Iinyosi eMzantsi Afrika

The Cape honeybee (left) and the African honeybee (right).

Zininzi iindidi zeenyosi zobusi kwaye ziyashiyana nangemibala,ukwenziwa kunye nendlela ezivelisa ngayo ubusi. Zikwashiyana nangendlela imizimba yazo elwana ngayo nezonakalisi nezifo. Ezinye iinyosi zimathile kwaye kulula ukuzilawula logama ezinye zindlongondlongo kwaye kunzima ukuzilawula. Ngokubhalwe ngumbutho wenyosi obizwa nge South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO), ilizwe loMzantsi Afrika likhaya lendidi ezimbini zeenyosi. Ezindidi zaziwa nge Apis mellifera Scutellata (okanye i“African bee”) kunye ne Apis mellifera Capensis (okanye i “Cape bee”). iCape bee ihlala kwiingingqi ezine fynbos zase Ntshona Koloni kunye nase Mzantsi Koloni. iAfrican bee ihlala emntla kwale ngingqi kodwa kukho kubakho ukungquzulana kwale mimmandla, nalapho iCape bee kunye ne African bee zithi zikhwelane kuphume iinyosi ezingumxube.
iCape bee ivamise ukuzola kwaye ibenombala omdaka kunowe African bee. Kunqabile ukuba inyosi ezingabasebenzi zohlobo lwe Cape bee zingazala imazi kunye nenkunzi kwi koloni, ebisele ingena kumkanikazi. Iinyosi ezingabasebenzi zohlobo lwe zingathathela kuzo ulawulo lwe koloni yenyosi zohlobo lwe African bee. Inyosi engumsebenzi yohlobo lwe Cape bee ingafika ithathe isikhundla izalele amaqanda ayo.
Inyosi yohlobo lwe African bee indlongondlongo kwaye ivelisa amacangca amaninzi obusi. Inomzimba onomgca otyheli kakhulu xa ithelekiswa ne Cape bee. Iinyosi ezisebenzayo zohlobo lwe African bee azikwazi kuzalela amaqanda xa ikumkanikazi ikhona kodwa zingazalela amaqanda eenkunzi okanye iidrone.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana