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Title / Describe physical characteristics of bees and their behaviour
Level / 2 / Credits / 3
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe the physical features of bees; the caste system of bees; and the development, behaviour, and function of bees in a beehive.
Classification / Agriculture > Apiculture
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
None.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe the physical features of bees.
Evidence requirements
1.1Bee anatomy is described in relation to insect classification.
1.2Anatomical features of bees are described in terms of their functions.
Rangebees – queen, drone, worker;
functions include but are not limited to – nectar gathering, pollen gathering, wax secretion, propolis gathering, defence.
Outcome 2
Describe the caste system of bees.
Evidence requirements
2.1Castes are described in terms of physical, behavioural, and developmental similarities and differences.
Rangequeen, drone, worker.
2.2Caste determination of queens and workers is described in terms of nutrition received in the larval stage.
2.3Drone determination is described in terms of genetic makeup.
Outcome 3
Describe development, behaviour, and function of bees in a beehive.
Evidence requirements
3.1The life cycle stages of pre-adult bees from egg to adult emergence are described in terms of metamorphosis, development time, and nutrition.
Rangequeen, drone, worker.
3.2The life cycle stage of adult worker bees is described in terms of the changes to bee physiology and the subsequent effect on the division of labour in a hive.
Rangecleaning, feeding, wax secretion and comb building, fanning, scenting, guarding, foraging.
3.3Adult bees are described in terms of their behaviour patterns.
Rangebehaviour – dance, defensive, foraging, pheromones (communication), nectar exchange (food), sensory organs (sensory), orientation flights.
3.4The colony queen is described in terms of queen rearing impulses and the process of reproduction by swarming.
3.5The function of the drone is described in terms of mating.
Replacement information / This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 30791.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 28 April 2003 / 31 December 2019
Review / 2 / 21 August 2009 / 31 December 2019
Review / 3 / 14 December 2017 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0052
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Primary Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101558 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut