European honey bee

Worldwide in temperate and tropical regions, especially gardens, meadows, orchards, woodlands, and managed hives. Colonies nest in cavities or purpose-built hive boxes.

Adults consume nectar and pollen; nectar supplies carbohydrates, while pollen provides protein and other nutrients. Larvae are fed glandular secretions, pollen, and honey-derived food.

Highly social, colony-living insects organized around a queen, workers, and drones. Workers forage, communicate locations through dances, build wax comb, pollinate plants, and defend the nest with barbed stings.

Stings can cause pain and, in allergic people, potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis; stepped-on or threatened colonies may attack. They are major pollinators supporting wild plants and many agricultural crops, and produce honey and beeswax.