Subject M

Maggot: The bee's insect larva has the shape of a maggot. She has neither a head nor legs.

Magazine: (the) The most common form of booty today is the magazine. It is particularly versatile. The bottom, sides and lid can be put together as required. The magazine hive is one of the upper treatment hives, which means that the beekeeper can conveniently operate it from above. The magazine hive has another advantage: You can set it up freely and you don't even need an apiary. In the past, people worked more with back-treated hives.

Maikrankheit: eine nichtansteckende Darmverstopfung der Honigbienen. Krankheitsbild: Stark aufgetriebener Hinterleib, junge Stockbienen krabbeln aus dem Stock, kreiseln oder laufen in Schlangenlinien auf dem Flugbrett, Kot wird in Form von festen gelben bis hellbraunen Würstchen abgesetzt herum, bei Druck auf den Hinterleib tritt gelbe Paste aus After. Auslösefaktoren:

Cold spells in spring (especially in May) when the nurse bees consume a lot of protein-rich food (pollen) for brood rearing, the pollen cannot be processed without sufficient water supply. Normally the fecal bladder of the nurse bees is affected. The symptoms of the disease disappear as soon as the bees resume their flight activity and can bring in water. It can lead to a slump in the development of the population. Preventive measures: In the event of cold spells after a good pollen count, provide the bees with water as a precaution (hive drinker) or feed them with liquid.

Control: administration of water, spraying the bees with lukewarm water or lukewarm sugar solution (1: 3)

Malpighische Gefäße: der Bienen sind Exkretionsorgane. Sie entsprechen in etwa unseren Nieren. Hier werden Abbauprodukte und Harnstoff in ungelöster Form abgegeben. Eine Arbeiterin besitzt bis zu 100 malpighische Gefäße.

Mandibel: Der Rüssel der Biene besteht aus den beiden Unterkiefern und der Unterlippe. Darüber sitzen die Mandibeln, die Oberkiefer der Biene.

Mandible gland: sits on the bee's head. All three bees, worker, drone and queen have these maxillary glands. Before the bees hatch, an oily secretion emerges from the mandibular glands, which loosens the wax lid from the honeycomb. Later, the worker also uses the mandible secretion to produce beeswax. In the queen, the mandible gland produces the queen substance, the queen's pheromone.

Manuka: honey comes from New Zealand. It has a very tart aroma and has an intense smell. Since it has a particularly strong antibacterial effect, it is often used as a natural remedy for mouth and throat infections. A wound gel is also made from Manuka honey.

Massentracht: zählen insbesondere Raps und Klee. Sie kommen in großen Flächen vor und bieten für die Bienen ein besonders reichhaltiges Angebot an Nahrung.

Maskenbienen: ca. 45 Arten Körperlänge 4 bis 9 mm, schwarz mit heller Gesichtszeichnung und hellen Flecken an Brust und Beinen, keine Sammelbürsten. Flugzeit Mai bis September Maskenbienen fressen den Pollen und würgen ihn im Nest wieder aus (Kropfsammler). Sie legen ihre Eier in schmale Gänge mit 3 mm Durchmesser in morsches Holz oder in Pflanzenstängel. Die Brutzellen werden mit transparentem, seidenartigem, wasserdichtem Sekret ausgekleidet.

Dispose of material: Material that cannot be cleaned should be disposed of properly.

Mouse grid: prevents mice from entering. A special wire mesh with a mesh size that the bees can barely pass through - but not mice. If you want to be absolutely sure, use a mesh size of approx. 6.3mm.

Mäuseschutz: Durch Verkleinerung der Fluglochöffnungen können Bienenvölker vor Mäusen und Spitzmäusen geschützt werden.

Mason bee: is a solitary bee. 37 species - body length 6-16 mm, very hairy, collective brushes on the underside of the abdomen. They prefer drill holes and stalks with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm. It builds its nests in the crevices of walls, rock and stone. Some mason bees even build in the sand. Their nests consist of a series of honeycombs or chambers lying one behind the other. Mason bees use leaves, clay, sand or small stones as building materials. Each chamber receives its own food supply of nectar and pollen in the form of bee bread. Then the mason bee lays an egg in each cell. The brood of mason bees is often threatened by parasites due to the way they are built.

Maxilla: is the bee's lower jaw. Together with the labium, the lower lip, it forms the trunk.

Melittin: is a component of bee venom. It is a poisonous protein that settles in the cell membrane and releases potassium. This causes the cell to die.

Mellifera: Dark European bee (Apis mellifera mellifera)

Melezitose: is a type of sugar found in the sugary excretion product (honeydew) of various aphids. It is formed from sucrose and glucose; ants are attracted by these excretions as protectors of the aphids. Melezitose is a carbohydrate and is a triple sugar, consisting of two molecules of glucose and one molecule of fructose. Melezitose was first found in 1833 by Bonastre in an extract from the larch (larch means “le meleze” in French, hence the name). In beekeeping, forest honey (from honeydew) occasionally has the effect that, in addition to fructose and glucose, a proportion of up to 12% melezitose is present. This leads to a rapid crystallization of the honey in the honey space of the bee colony, so that it can usually no longer be harvested. This honey is known as melezitose honey or cement honey.

Metamorphose: In ihrer Entwicklung zur Imago durchläuft die Biene mehrere Metamorphosen, Verwandlungen also. Sie entwickelt sich vom Ei zur Larve, von der Larve zur geschlechtsreifen, flug-fähigen Imago. Dabei können die einzelnen Entwicklungsstadien komplett unterschiedlich aussehen. Bei den Bienen sind die Larven Maden, bei den Schmetterligen Raupen.

Mite: one of the harmful parasites that can cause diseases in bees. The beekeeper therefore tries to keep a close eye on his colony to see whether mites or protozoa are nesting there.

Mites leaching: Determination of the bee infestation via the bee sample

Mites disease: (pathogen: tracheal mite) The causative agent is the acaräpis mite (inner mite) described by Rennie in 1920. This infectious disease causes a mite that lives in the foremost pair of windpipes (trachea) of the bee. It is only 1/10 mm in size and can hardly be seen with the naked eye. The mite is yellowish in color and has a stocky build. Your 4 pairs of legs are more or less hairy. With the help of the claws and adhesive bells on the legs, it is possible for the mite to find the necessary support on and in its host. Their mouth parts are designed for pricking and sucking. She uses them to pierce the wall of the trachea to soak up the bees' blood. The indigestible waste materials are collected in the bulges of the mite intestine and are clearly visible on microscopic examination as dark deposits, so-called urine stains.

The mites develop in the bees' trachea. After a pregnant female mite has penetrated the bee's windpipe through the first respiratory opening, it lays 5 to 10 eggs here, depending on the season, which are attached to the tracheal wall. Then she tries to find another suitable bee. After 3 to 4 days, six-legged mite larvae develop from the eggs, which after a further development period of 2 to 3 weeks grow into sexually mature animals. They can remain in their place of birth until the bee dies, or they can migrate from the sick bee earlier. The older a bee gets, the more generations of mites develop in it. The mites continue to penetrate the windpipe system. Up to 100 trachea mites have been found in long-lived winter bees. If the mites leave their host, they try to reach a new bee as quickly as possible because they cannot be without food for more than 1 to 2 days.

Krankheitsbild: Flugunfähige Bienen, Hüpfer und Krabbler vor den Beuten. Zögernde Volksentwicklung, viel Wintertotenfall. Bienenkot an und in Beuten, auf den Waben. Ein Bienenvolk kann den Parasiten längere Zeit beherbergen, ohne dass er sich durch äußere Kennzeichen bemerkbar macht. Auf Grund ungünstiger Umwelt- bedingungen, erfolgt häufig eine starke Vermehrung der Milben, und die Krankheit nimmt einen seuchenhaften Charakter an. Die Völker werden so geschädigt, dass sie eingehen (Bestätigung nur durch mikroskopische Untersuchung).Verbreitung:  Die neue Milbengeneration verlässt die Tracheen über die Stigmenöffnungen und wandert von den Haarspitzen der Biene auf andere im Volk über. Durch Räuberei, Verfliegen, aufgenommene Drohnen, Einfangen von Schwärmen unbekannter Herkunft oder Erwerb befallener Völker oder Königinnen kommt es zudem zu einer Übertragung zwischen Völkern.

Bekämpfung: Die Milbenseuche ist in Deutschland bekämpfungspflichtig.Ameisensäure als Varroa-Bekämpfungsmittel wirkt auch gegen die Tracheenmilbe. Abtöten bereits stark geschwächter Völker (Milbe kann dadurch aber nicht ausgerottet werden) Förderung des Reinigungsfluges gegen Ende des Winters, um kranke Flugbienenzu eliminieren (Übergießen der Waben mit 1-2-Esslöffel warmen Honigs) Die Selbstheilung eines nicht zu stark befallenen Volks ist möglich.Vorbeugung: Überwinterungsplätze, die eine optimale Pollenversorgung bieten und damit günstige Brut- und Volksentwicklung sichern. Überwinterungsstandorte, die den Bienen früh und häufig Gelegenheit zum Reinigungsflug. 

Minerals: Honey contains only small traces of minerals. Only potassium can be detected in larger amounts. Honeydew honey contains the most minerals of all honeys. The reason for its high potassium content is its herbal ingredients.

Middle wall: (the) wax plates with pre-embossed hexagonal patterns are inserted into the frames by the beekeeper. They should provide the bees with a basis for building new honeycombs. The middle walls used for this are made of melted beeswax. The bees save effort and can manage their food supplies better if they are provided with prefabricated honeycomb panels. In addition, the honeycombs are smaller, so that not quite as many drones are grown.

Mittelwandgabe: Durch die Gabe von dünnen Wachsplatten aus Bienenwachs mit vorgeprägter Zellengröße kann die Verteilung zwischen Arbeiterinnen und Drohnenbrut beeinflusst werden.