Honey bee
Honey bees are highly social flying insects in the genus Apis, best known for producing honey and living in large wax-built colonies.
Honey bees are highly social flying insects in the genus Apis, best known for producing honey and living in large wax-built colonies. The term often refers to the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, which is widely managed for honey production and crop pollination.
What it is
Honey bees belong to the genus Apis in the tribe Apini. They are eusocial insects that live in colonies with a reproductive queen, worker bees, and drones. They build wax combs and store honey as a food source. There are seven recognized species, with Apis mellifera being the best-known and most economically important.
Why it matters
Honey bees are important pollinators for many crops and wild plants. They are also managed for honey and beeswax production. In Canada, managed Apis mellifera colonies are widely used in agriculture for crop pollination and honey production, making them a key beneficial insect.
Key details
Honey bees are native to Afro-Eurasia; Apis mellifera is native to Europe, western Asia, and Africa. Human beekeeping has introduced them to other continents. They live in perennial nests made from wax secreted by worker bees, and their colonies are structured around distinct castes.
In short
- Honey bees are social insects in the genus Apis, known for honey and wax.
- Apis mellifera is the most common and economically important species.
- They are vital pollinators for crops and wild plants.
- In Canada, they support agriculture through pollination and honey production.
Honey bees are important in Canada for crop pollination and honey production, and managed Apis mellifera colonies are used widely in Canadian agriculture.
Quick questions
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Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/animal/honeybeeSupports: Honey bees are social bees in tribe Apini; the genus Apis has seven species; Apis mellifera is the best-known species.
- GBIF — https://www.gbif.org/species/112858101Supports: Honey bees are eusocial insects in Apis; notes native range, global introductions, colony traits, and recognized species/subspecies counts.
- New World Encyclopedia — https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/HoneybeeSupports: Honeybees are members of Apis that produce and store honey and build wax nests; Apis mellifera is especially common.
- Harvard University — https://whatsinaname.hmnh.harvard.edu/beesSupports: Honey bees are highly social insects, Apis mellifera is commonly cultivated, and the group includes seven species.
- The Wildlife Trusts — https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/bees-and-wasps/honey-beeSupports: Honey bees live in wax honeycombs, have queens and workers, and are familiar colony-forming insects.
- National Geographic — https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/honeybeeSupports: Honey bees are social, important pollinators, and Apis mellifera is the common species used by humans.
- University of Georgia — https://bees.caes.uga.edu/beekeeping-resources/getting-started-topics/getting-started-honey-bee-biology.htmlSupports: Honey bees are economically important insects kept in managed hives for honey, beeswax, and pollination.
- Animal Diversity Web — https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Apis_mellifera/Supports: Apis mellifera native range and human introductions to other continents.