Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Honey bees get their common name because of the edible honey they produce from the nectar of flowers. Honey bees are of significant importance to our food supply because they pollinate many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat.

Description: Honey bees range in size from about 1/2-5/8 of an inch long. Their color is generally orangish-brown to light black. They have light colored hairs that cover most of their body.

Biology: Honey bees are social insects. A mature colony can hold 20,000 to 80,000 bees. There is only one egg-laying queen in each hive. She can lay up to 2,000 eggs each day, producing more than three million eggs in her lifetime.

Habits: When a Honey bee colony gets too large for its current quarters, the bees will swarm in search of a new home. Honey Bees seek hollow trees, hollow walls or attics for their colony. They are not aggressive, but will defend their colony if threatened. The Honey bee sting can be painful and should be removed immediately by scraping the wound with a blunt edged object such as a credit card. Do not squeeze the wound area as this action will release more venom thereby increasing the amount of pain. Use a cold compress for swelling and consult a physician if the reaction is more severe than a small welt. People with allergic reactions can die within 15-30 minutes if they do not seek medical treatment.