Insect · GBIF taxon 1341976
Western Honey Bee
Apis melliferaAlso known as European Honey Bee, Common Honey Bee
Western honey bees build extensive wax-comb nests housing tens of thousands of coordinated workers, sterile females led by a single egg-laying queen. Foragers perform a precise figure-eight movement known as the waggle dance to communicate the exact direction and distance of rich floral resources to hive mates. Essential to global agriculture, their pollination activity supports thousands of wild plant species and commercial crops worldwide.
PollinatorSocialVenomous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Floral nectar
- Pollen
Predators
- Bears
- Bee-eaters
- European Hornets
ThreatsPesticides, habitat loss, Varroa mites, and Colony Collapse Disorder
HabitatsAgricultural fields, gardens, grasslands, forests, and urban areas
Life span6 weeks for summer workers; up to 5 years for queens
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderHymenoptera
- FamilyApidae
- GenusApis
- SpeciesApis mellifera
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskVery high
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is very high
- Females sting defensively when provoked; keep a respectful distance from hives and observe foraging workers calmly.
- Why it is dangerous
- Worker bees possess a barbed sting that injects apitoxin, causing localized pain, swelling, and potential severe anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognize them by fuzzy golden-brown and dark striped bodies with wide pollen baskets on their hind legs.
- What to do
- Remain calm if a bee hovers nearby, avoid sudden swatting motions, and give hive entrances a wide berth.
Responsible observation
- Gardening for bees: Plant native flowering perennials to provide continuous nectar throughout the growing season.
- Observing foragers: Watch workers on blossoms quietly, as they rarely sting while actively gathering food.
Pollinator Competitor Marco Almbauer / CC0 · cc0
Predator (c) katunchik, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by katunchik · cc-by
Parasite 
Close Relative Rushenb / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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