The Western Honey bee is the most common honey bee species worldwide, and the species can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Like other honey bees, the species is eusocial, as they create colonies with a single queen (fertile female), many workers (non-reproductive females), and a small proportion of drones (fertile males). Individual colonies can house tens of thousands of bees. The Western Honey Bee was one of the first domesticated insects, and it is primarily maintained by beekeepers for its honey production and pollination activities; other products include beeswax, bee bread, bee brood, and royal jelly.
The Western Honey Bee has an overall body length between .39”-.59” (10-15 mm) for workers and .71”-.79” (18-20 mm) for the Queen. The body width is .12”-.2” (3-5 mm) and the body height is .12”-.2” (3-5 mm). The wingspan of the Western Honey Bee is in the range of .71”-.79” (18-20 mm). The typical lifespan of the Western Honey Bee is between 21-60 days for workers and 1-2 years for the Queen.
The Western Honey bee is the most common honey bee species worldwide, and the species can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Like other honey bees, the species is eusocial, as they create colonies with a single queen (fertile female), many workers (non-reproductive females), and a small proportion of drones (fertile males). Individual colonies can house tens of thousands of bees. The Western Honey Bee was one of the first domesticated insects, and it is primarily maintained by beekeepers for its honey production and pollination activities; other products include beeswax, bee bread, bee brood, and royal jelly.
The Western Honey Bee has an overall body length between .39”-.59” (10-15 mm) for workers and .71”-.79” (18-20 mm) for the Queen. The body width is .12”-.2” (3-5 mm) and the body height is .12”-.2” (3-5 mm). The wingspan of the Western Honey Bee is in the range of .71”-.79” (18-20 mm). The typical lifespan of the Western Honey Bee is between 21-60 days for workers and 1-2 years for the Queen.