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
Forage (honey bee) means of the round dance, waggle dance and shaking signals. In addition to nectar and pollen, honey bees may forage for a honeydew source in certain coniferous trees and on oaks. One Queen bee is essential to every hive as the only individual who can lay fertilized eggs necessary to rear workers and new queens and therefore continuation of the species. Forage (honey bee) For bees, their forage or food supply consists of nectar and pollen from blooming plants within flight range. The forage sources for honey bees are an important consideration for beekeepers. In order to determine where to