Honey bees are unique creatures with an in-depth social community. They're led by a single queen, with thousands of worker bees and a few male drones to aid in reproduction. There is, perhaps, no insect that is as crucial for human life. To better understand these interesting creatures, consider the following guide on honey bee behavior.

What Is the General Honey Bee Behavior?

Although there's only one queen in each colony, honey bees are surprisingly social creatures. The worker bees are responsible for making the combs that make up the physical structure of the hive, and they are also responsible for foraging the resources necessary for survival. They also help facilitate the care of the young larvae, ensuring they develop into full-grown bees. The singular queen provides the crucial role of laying all the eggs for the colony. The male drones are only responsible for mating with young queens from the surrounding area. Drones die in the act of mating, and if they are unsuccessful in their primary purpose,  they're ejected from the colony to preserve resources going into the winter months. While they're naturally docile creatures, honey bees can be defensive and will attack if they feel the young brood or colony as a whole is threatened. If they sting someone or something, the barbed stinger will be left in the skin and the honey bee's venom sack will be pulled from their body, killing them.

What Are Some Fun Facts About Honey Bee Behavior?

Many people know that honey bees can only sting once, but there are also a few other lesser known facts. Their colonies can be anywhere between 40,000 and 80,000 bees in the late spring or early summer and the queen bee tends to live for about two to three years. She will mate with up to 17 different male drones in the first week or so of her life, and will then have all the eggs she needs for the remainder of her life. In peak laying form, a queen can lay up to 2,500 eggs per day, though 1,500 is more typical. Honey is actually the only product produced by insects that is consumed by humans, making it quite a unique delicacy. 

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