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Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Honey bees are small, black-and-white insects with wings. They are extremely important for pollination and are usually spotted around blossoming plant life. Bees spend all summer making the sweet honey they are named after – pollinating thousands of plants in the process. Without them, food crops would be unsuccessful and the world would go hungry.
Range & Habitat
Native to Europe and Africa but exist in the wild around the world after being transferred for honey collection and pollination.
Diet
Honey (a concentrated form of nectar)
Life Span
30 – 60 days
Fun Facts about the Honey Bee
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Every honey bee hive has one queen bee, responsible for laying all the eggs and directing the rest of the hive.
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Honey bee hives majorly consist of female worker bees as males do not have stingers, make honey or help to upkeep the hive. Male bees only exist to potentially mate with the queen once a year,
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To survive in the winter, bees will ration their honey and huddle around the queen, flapping their wings to generate enough heat to keep her warm. Bees on the outskirts of the huddle will rotate with the bees inside to keep warm.
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The honey's flavor depends on the type of plants the bees collect their nectar from. Our hive produces a light, flowery honey due to all the wildflowers the bees pollinate at the zoo.
Updated June 13, 2023
Location:
Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve
