There is only one Honey Bee species, but there are two subspecies you can see in the United Kingdom. The European Honey Bee is the main species, with the Italian Bee and European Dark Bee being the subspecies. Honey Bees store and produce honey within a permanent, colonial nest made of wax.
The Colony
A colony of Honey Bees will have only one queen, whose main task is to produce more honey bees. She will be surrounded by fertile male drone bees and worker bees, which are sterile bees. At the end of each season, the male drone bees are removed from the colony. In summer, the female worker bees can survive for up to four more weeks. They can live up to 24 weeks in winter.
The young worker bees will clean the hive and provide food for the larvae. They will then move on to other colony tasks. They will also be responsible for protecting the hive against predators. As they age, they will spend their lives searching for nectar, water, and pollen outside the hive. To collect pollen, they have a specially designed pollen basket that is attached to each of their rear legs. They also have an extra stomach that allows them to transport nectar.
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Honey Bees are very social insects because they work within a well-structured social order. This social order has one main purpose: to help the queen produce more eggs. The male drone bees will be driven out of the colony in winter, while the female workers will gather around the queen Honey Bee. They stop flying during winter months to conserve energy and keep warm. They will huddle closer together when it is cold.
The worker bees will take turns being at the edge of the huddle. This ensures that no bee is too cold. To keep their body heat, they will eat honey that they have stored. Only the queen honey bee can sting multiple times.
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Because her sting is so smooth, this is why she can sting multiple times. Her sting is usually only used against queen bees that are not her own. The sting is not available to male drone bees. The sting of the female worker bee is a barbed one. This sting has a venom sache attached. If a worker bee stings someone, the sting and sac are removed from the abdomen and the worker will die. They will only sting if the hive or worker Honey Bee are threatened by a predator, feel threatened, or accidentally trampled on by a person.