At a glance
Essentials
- Size
- Workers measure between 11 and 13 mm; queens between 15 and 20 mm. The range may vary with age, sex and population.
- Distribution
- Native to Africa, the Middle East, and Europe; introduced by humans to the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia.
- Habitat
- Lives in hives, which can be artificial or natural, where workers build wax combs with hexagonal cells.
- Activity
- Bees communicate the location of food through dances, such as the waggle dance, which indicates distance and direction.
- Diet
- Worker and queen larvae are fed royal jelly for the first three days; afterwards, workers receive a mixture of pollen and nectar, while queens continue with royal jelly.
Observation guide
What to look for
- 01
The thorax is covered in yellowish-brown hairs.
- 02
The abdomen is not black and yellow, but presents bands of light-colored hair on the basal part of the segments.
- 03
The queens are larger than the workers and possess a more rounded and elongated abdomen.
- 04
The drones have compound eyes notably larger than those of the workers.
Lighting, age and viewing angle can hide features. If identification affects consumption, handling or conservation, consult specialist sources.
Ecology
Description and characteristics
The Western honey bee is a social insect that lives in perennial colonies that persist year after year, allowing the colony to be considered a superorganism where group reproduction is the significant biological unit. These colonies reproduce through a process called swarming, which in most climates occurs in spring and early summer when there is an abundance of flowers. Communication among worker bees is carried out through dances, such as the waggle dance, which transmits information about the distance and direction of a food source relative to the sun, a mechanism described by Karl von Frisch.
Regarding its morphology, the base color of the Western honey bee is brown, with a thorax covered in yellowish-brown hairs. Contrary to the popular belief that associates its abdomen with black and yellow stripes, the bee's abdomen does not exhibit that warning coloration typical of wasps, but rather possesses bands of light-colored hair on the basal part of the segments. Queens are larger than workers and have a more rounded and elongated abdomen, while drones are distinguished by their notably larger compound eyes. Workers measure between 11 and 13 millimeters in length, while queens reach between 15 and 20 millimeters.