The american honey bee is one of the most recognizable and economically important insects found across the United States. From backyard gardens and commercial orchards to large agricultural operations, honey bees play an essential role in pollination while also producing honey, beeswax, propolis, and other valuable hive products.
Although many people refer to the bees they see around their homes as the american honey bee, the honey bee commonly managed by beekeepers in the United States is Apis mellifera, often called the western or European honey bee. These bees were introduced to North America centuries ago and have since become deeply connected to American agriculture and beekeeping.
Understanding the american honey bee can help new beekeepers, gardeners, farmers, and homeowners appreciate just how remarkable these insects really are.
Big picture: a healthy colony holds tens of thousands of bees in the warm months, and a strong queen can lay well over 1,000 eggs a day.
What Is an American Honey Bee?
The term american honey bee generally refers to honey bees living or managed in the United States. Most belong to the species Apis mellifera.
Honey bees are social insects that live in highly organized colonies. A healthy colony can contain tens of thousands of bees during the warmer months. Every bee has a role that contributes to the survival of the hive.
A typical colony consists of three types of bees:
Queen bee: The queen is the primary reproductive female in the colony. During periods of strong colony growth, a healthy queen can lay well over 1,000 eggs per day.
Worker bees: Nearly all bees in a colony are female workers. They perform tasks including cleaning cells, feeding larvae, producing wax, guarding the entrance, regulating hive temperature, collecting water, gathering pollen, and foraging for nectar.
Drones: Male honey bees are called drones. Their primary biological function is mating with queens from other colonies.
The organization of an american honey bee colony is one of the most fascinating examples of social cooperation in nature.
Where Did the American Honey Bee Come From?
Honey bees were not originally native to North America. European settlers brought Apis mellifera colonies to the continent beginning in the 1600s.
Over time, honey bees spread throughout much of North America. Some colonies escaped managed apiaries and established themselves in hollow trees and other protected cavities.
Today, the american honey bee is found throughout most of the United States, both in managed colonies and in wild or feral populations.
Beekeepers also maintain different genetic stocks and subspecies of Apis mellifera. Italian, Carniolan, Caucasian, Russian, and other honey bee lines have been used by American beekeepers because of traits such as honey production, winter survival, temperament, and resistance to certain pests.
Why Is the American Honey Bee Important?
The importance of the american honey bee extends far beyond honey production.
Honey bees visit flowers while searching for nectar and pollen. During these visits, pollen can be transferred between flowers, allowing plants to reproduce and produce fruits and seeds.
Many agricultural crops benefit from honey bee pollination, including almonds, apples, blueberries, cherries, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and numerous seed crops.
Commercial beekeepers may transport thousands of colonies around the country specifically for agricultural pollination.
This relationship between agriculture and the american honey bee makes honey bee health an important issue for farmers, beekeepers, researchers, and consumers.
How American Honey Bees Make Honey
Honey production begins when worker bees collect nectar from flowers.
A foraging american honey bee uses its proboscis to gather nectar and stores it in a specialized honey stomach. Once the bee returns to the hive, the nectar is transferred among worker bees and eventually placed into wax cells.
The bees reduce the nectar's moisture content by circulating air through the colony with their wings. As the nectar becomes concentrated, it gradually turns into honey.
When the honey reaches an appropriate moisture level, workers seal the cell with beeswax.
This stored honey becomes an important food reserve, particularly during winter or periods when flowers are unavailable.
For beekeepers, surplus honey can be harvested while leaving enough food for the colony's needs.
Life Inside an American Honey Bee Hive
An american honey bee colony operates almost like a single living organism.
Worker bees perform different jobs depending partly on their age and the needs of the colony. Younger workers typically perform duties inside the hive, while older workers eventually become foragers.
Inside the colony, workers may:
- Clean and prepare cells
- Feed developing larvae
- Attend to the queen
- Produce beeswax
- Build honeycomb
- Store pollen and nectar
- Regulate hive temperature
- Guard the hive entrance
- Remove debris
- Collect nectar, pollen, water, and plant resins
Honey bees also communicate with each other.
One famous example is the "waggle dance." Returning foragers can perform movements on the comb that communicate information about the direction and approximate distance of valuable food sources.
What Does an American Honey Bee Eat?
The american honey bee depends primarily on nectar and pollen.
Nectar provides carbohydrates that supply energy. Bees transform excess nectar into honey that can be stored for later use.
Pollen provides proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients necessary for colony development.
Healthy colonies therefore depend on access to diverse flowering plants throughout the growing season.
Homeowners can support honey bees and native pollinators by planting a variety of flowering plants that bloom at different times of the year.
Threats Facing the American Honey Bee
Maintaining healthy honey bee colonies can be challenging. One of the most serious threats to the american honey bee is the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor).
These parasitic mites reproduce within capped brood cells and feed on developing and adult bees. More importantly, Varroa mites can contribute to the spread of damaging honey bee viruses.
Without effective management, heavily infested colonies can weaken and die.
Other challenges can include:
- Viral and bacterial diseases
- Nosema and other pathogens
- Poor queen performance
- Nutritional shortages
- Pesticide exposure
- Small hive beetles
- Wax moths in weakened colonies
- Severe weather
- Loss of suitable forage
Modern beekeeping therefore involves much more than simply placing bees into a hive and harvesting honey.
American Honey Bee vs. Native Bees
It is important to distinguish the american honey bee from bees native to North America.
The United States is home to thousands of species of native bees, including bumble bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees, mining bees, and sweat bees.
Most native bee species do not produce harvestable honey or live in large colonies like Apis mellifera. Many are solitary, meaning individual females build and provision their own nests.
Native bees can also be exceptionally effective pollinators for certain plants.
Supporting pollinator health therefore shouldn't focus exclusively on the american honey bee. Creating diverse habitats with native flowering plants can benefit honey bees and native pollinators alike.
Can You Raise American Honey Bees?
Beekeeping has become a popular hobby throughout the United States.
Someone interested in keeping the american honey bee will typically need several basic pieces of equipment, including a hive, protective clothing, a smoker, hive tools, frames, and a colony of bees.
One common way beginners acquire bees is through a package or nucleus colony, usually called a "nuc."
A nuc contains several established frames of bees, brood, food stores, and a queen. Because the colony already has functioning comb and developing brood, nucs are popular among beginning beekeepers.
Before purchasing bees, however, prospective beekeepers should research local and state regulations concerning hive registration, placement, inspections, and other requirements.
How to Help the American Honey Bee
You don't have to become a beekeeper to help pollinators.
Planting flowers that provide nectar and pollen is one of the easiest ways to support the american honey bee and other beneficial insects.
Choose plants that flower at different times so pollinators have food from early spring through fall.
Reducing unnecessary pesticide use can also help. When pesticide treatments are necessary, carefully follow label directions and consider application timing to reduce exposure to actively foraging pollinators.
Providing clean water can also benefit honey bee colonies. Shallow water sources containing rocks or other landing surfaces give bees a place to drink without drowning.
The Future of the American Honey Bee
The relationship between people and the american honey bee continues to evolve.
Researchers are studying honey bee genetics, disease resistance, nutrition, Varroa control, queen health, and improved management practices. Beekeepers are also experimenting with breeding programs designed to produce colonies that can better tolerate parasites and environmental stresses.
At the same time, interest in backyard beekeeping and pollinator conservation continues to introduce more people to the fascinating world inside a beehive.
The american honey bee may be tiny, but its influence reaches from backyard gardens to some of the largest agricultural operations in the country.
Final Thoughts on the American Honey Bee
The american honey bee is much more than a source of honey. A honey bee colony is a complex society consisting of thousands of individuals working together to gather food, raise young, protect their home, and survive changing seasons.
Honey bees also provide valuable pollination services that support American agriculture.
Whether you're interested in starting your first hive, planting a pollinator garden, or simply learning more about bees, understanding the american honey bee is an excellent place to begin.
The next time you see a honey bee moving from flower to flower, remember that you're watching one small worker participating in an extraordinarily complex system—one that has become an important part of America's agricultural landscape.