The honeybee

The honeybee belongs to the Hymenoptera order of insects, which includes sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. In common, they all have two pairs of wings with the hind wings connected to the forewings by a series of hooks.

The UK honey bee population is of the species known as the ‘European honey bee’ (Apis mellifera). The two most common subspecies found here are the ‘Italian bee’ (A.m. ligustica) and the ‘European dark bee’ (A.m. mellifera).

See more detail on classification at Wikipedia

A bee colony is (usually) made up of three different types of bee – one fertile female ‘queen’, female ‘workers’ and male ‘drones’. The queen is the largest, followed by the drones, then the workers.

The queen lays eggs in hexagonal wax cells (comb) prepared by the workers. These develop into larvae, after which the cells are sealed for the pupae stage. Egg to emergent bee takes between 16 days (queen), 21 days (worker) and 24 days (drones).

The colony may increase in number from 15 – 20,000 in the winter to 60 - 100,000 in the summer. Queens may live (on average) from 2 – 5 years. A worker in the summer will live for 2 – 4 weeks, whereas a ‘winter’ bee may survive for approximately 24 weeks. Drones are ejected from the hive at the end of each season.

Identification

Honey bees are sometimes mistaken for wasps (which also have striped abdomens and sting). The main visual differences are that wasps are bright yellow with yellow on their faces and on their legs. They have longer antennae than honey bees. The wasp’s flight pattern is noticeably different and they can sting repeatedly (whereas a bee can usually only sting once).

Wasps (and hornets) are carnivorous, feeding their young on meat in the form of aphids and other small insects. In this respect they are useful to the gardener. Honey bees build their homes with vertical combs made of wax – wasps build horizontal sheets of cells made of a papery pulp. Wasps can be seen gathering wood pulp by ‘grazing’ on fences and sheds during the summer.

Other insects mistaken for honey bees include bumble bees, solitary bees and hoverflies. Click here to view our page on 'Other Bees'.

See BBKA Information Leaflet 'Bees and wasps in your garden'

Link to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Help with insect identification - the Natural History Museum
Link to site specialising in solitary bees

Bee stings

It is generally accepted that if you keep bees, you will probably get stung sooner or later. Most stings can be avoided by careful handling of the bees, correct dress and judicious use of the smoker. It is a good practice to wear protective clothing (especially around the head and face) – bees are not always predictable!

The ‘venom sac’ becomes detached from the bee. Remove this as quickly as possible by scraping with a finger nail or hive tool. The sting gives off a scent to the other bees, encouraging them to sting in the same area. This can be masked by puffing smoke onto the affected area.

The effects can be minimal (like a nettle sting) or more painful and enduring. It is common for the affected area to be slightly swollen and itchy for a few days. A smaller number of people are allergic to bee stings. Symptoms might include disorientation, increased heart rate or difficulty in breathing. For this reason, it is always good practice to carry a mobile phone when working with bees.

See BBKA Information Leaflet 'Bee stings'

The Anaphylaxis Campaign - Bee and Wasp Sting Allergy
www.anaphylaxis.org.uk

Click here for more information on anaphylaxis (symptoms) and the use of EpiPens.