Honeybees are not only essential to the environment, but they also provide beekeepers with the pride of protecting them—and, of course, giving the world honey. How do bees work together in their hive? How does their communal life function? Here’s a closer look inside. 

Types of Hives & Internal Structure

There are two general types of hives: natural and man-made. Natural hives are mostly made up of three types of bee products: wax, honey, and a lesser-known substance called propolis. Propolis is a kind of sticky substance the bees use to patch holes and change the shape of the hive.

The majority of the hive is a honeycomb structure made from beeswax. Bees then store honey and pollen in the combs as their food sources. The larvae of worker bees eat honey while those chosen to be future queens consume royal jelly, a pale secretion created by female bees. Other combs are used as nurseries for bee eggs and larvae.

Man-made hives are constructed with wood and utilize removable wooden frames that the bees draw the combs into. This allows the beekeeper to inspect and care for the colony without destroying the hive. 

How Life Functions Within the Hive

Every bee in a colony has a specific role. The worker bees are responsible for a great many jobs, including taking care of larvae, repairing the hive, producing wax, and collecting pollen and nectar to bring back to the hive. Workers are all female.

Drone bees are male and make up only about a quarter of the colony. Their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. They have no stingers and no foraging tools, so they are born, grow, mate with the queen, and then die.

Lastly, there is one queen in each colony. She communicates and guides the colony through the use of pheromones. For example, she suppresses workers' ability to lay fertilized eggs with a pheromone that prevents them from developing the necessary reproductive organs. She does this to help the hive function properly.

The queen also uses pheromones to draw drones to her to mate, encourage workers to do their jobs, and more. Workers also have pheromones they use for many purposes, including letting other workers know where to find nectar sources and when there is a threat to the hive.

 

For natural, delicious, American produced honey, come to Register Family Farms in Freeport, FL. This family-owned and -operated honeybee farm takes special care to keep their bees healthy, so you get the finest wildflower and Tupelo honey available. They also carry beeswax candles, gift baskets, and other products. Visit their website or call them at (850) 392-7404 to learn more about their farm.