Western honey bee Western honey bee The western honey bee or European honey bee ("Apis mellifera") is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bee worldwide. The genus name "Apis" is Latin for "bee", and "mellifera" is the Latin for "honey-bearing", referring to the species' production of honey. Like all honey bees, the western honey bee is eusocial, creating colonies with a single fertile female (or "queen"), many normally non-reproductive females or "workers," and small proportion of fertile males or "drones." Individual colonies can house tens of thousands of bees. Colony activities are organized by complex communication between individuals, through both
African Honey Bee (organization) logistics, equipment and consumables, appropriate technology and access to market. The organization also promotes the benefits of locally produced honey to South African honey consumers, and provides marketing opportunities. Beekeepers that partner with African Honey Bee are provided with training, mentoring and support; low cost infrastructure, equipment, consumables and logistics; and off-take agreements/partnerships with large retailers. African Honey Bee is able to guarantee its product quality to the consumer, because it requires the beekeepers to manage their bees according to its Afri-hive organic beekeeping system, its Nektar management and traceability technology, and its quality standards, as well as being managed