Bee

Bees form colonies of up to 80.000 individuals, consisting of three bee types: the queen, worker, and drone.
Queen bees have a lifespan of up to seven years, the most extended lifespan across the colony. Worker bees have two to eight months of life if they survive the autumn and winter months. Drone bees have a lifespan of up to four-month but die directly after the mating process resulting in a much shorter lifespan on average.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A bee is a tripartite insect with a head, thorax, and abdomen. The head features a mouth to which feelers are attached, two antennas, and big eyes. It usually has a deep brown to black coloration. The thorax is covered in fine short hairs providing a fluffy appearance. It has six multi-limbed legs attached to it. The abdomen usually features a striped look in goldish and dark brown to black colors and a sting on its end.

Genetics and Reproduction

Bees entirely reproduce through the queen bee. A virgin queen bee will fly out to mate with multiple drone bees and return to the nest as a mated queen bee. A mated queen bee can lay up to 1500 eggs a day.

Ecology and Habitats

They build nests into naturally formed caves, rock cavities, and hollow trees or build hanging nests one to five meters above ground on trees or walls in warmer areas. Internally the nest contains multiple rows of wax honeycombs with honey at the top, pollen in the middle, and living spaces on the bottom. The nest is usually at least used until the current queen is passed away.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They need blooming plants around them to get pollen and nectar to feed the current and new generations. The worker bees collect and store both food sources and distribute the food across the nest.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Bees produce wax and honey which can be harvested and used in various ways. Wax can be used to seal letters and products or be processed into candles which can be used as a light source afterward. Honey is edible raw but can be used to create various food items and beverages such as mead.

Lifespan

The average lifespan differs depending on the type of bee.

Average Length

The average length differs depending on the type of bee.

• Queen: 2-2,5cm
• Drone: generally smaller than the queen bee but bigger in size than the worker bee
• Worker: 1-1,5cm

Related Materials

• Beeswax
• Honey

Average number of colony inhabitants

• 1 queen
• 500 drones
• 60.000 workers