What Makes Honeybees Different From Other Bees? Species, Anatomy, and Fun Facts

There are over 20,000 species of bees on this planet. Twenty thousand. But only 7 of them are honeybees. So what makes those 7 so special?

Chapter 2 of Backyard Farming: Keeping Honey Bees by Kim Pezza breaks down what sets honeybees apart from their thousands of cousins. And there is a lot more going on than just honey.

The Honeybee Family

All honeybees belong to the genus Apis. Out of those 20,000+ bee species in the world, only these 7 carry that label:

• Apis mellifera (Western honeybee) - the one you probably know
• Apis cerana (Eastern honeybee)
• Apis dorsata (Giant honeybee)
• Apis florea (Red Dwarf honeybee)
• Apis andreniformis (Black Dwarf honeybee)
• Apis nigrocincta
• Apis koschevnikovi

From these 7 species, there are 44 subspecies. But if you are keeping bees in the United States, you are most likely working with one of 6 common types.

The 6 Types You Will Find in the US

Italian Honeybee - This is the most popular bee for backyard beekeepers in the US. They were first imported in 1859. They are gentle, easy to work with, and have a low tendency to swarm. If you are a beginner, this is probably where you will start.

German (European Dark) Honeybee - These are tough bees. They handle cold winters well and can fly in colder temperatures than most other types. Not as gentle as Italians, but they are survivors.

Carniolan Honeybee - Gentle with their handlers and resistant to disease. They are a solid choice if you are keeping bees in an urban area where you need calm, well-behaved colonies near neighbors.

Caucasian Honeybee - Very gentle, which is nice. But they do not do as well in cold winters compared to some other types. Something to consider depending on where you live.

Buckfast Honeybee - This is a cross breed developed at Buckfast Abbey in the UK. They are known for their good temper. A solid all-around bee.

Russian Honeybee - Imported to the US in 1997 by the USDA from the Primorsky Krai region of Russia. They are winter hardy, which is great. But they tend to swarm more than other types. Keep that in mind.

Social Bees vs. Solitary Bees

Here is something important. Most bees are actually solitary. They live alone, build their own little nests, and do their own thing. Honeybees are different. They are social insects that live in colonies of around 60,000 bees.

That social structure is what makes beekeeping possible. You are not managing individual bees. You are managing a colony, which functions almost like a single organism. Every bee has a role. Every bee contributes. And the whole thing works because of that cooperation.

How a Honeybee Grows Up

A honeybee goes through four life stages: egg, larval, pupal, and then metamorphosis into an adult bee. The whole cycle takes about 21 days.

Here is the interesting part about diet. For the first 3 days, all larvae eat royal jelly. After that, workers and drones switch to a diet of honey and pollen. But if a larva is destined to become a queen, she stays on royal jelly the entire time. That is literally the only difference between a queen and a worker. Same genes. Different food. Wild, right?

Honeybee Anatomy

Honeybees have three main body sections, and each one is packed with specialized equipment.

The Head

The head has the antennae, which are basically the bee’s sensory center. They can detect smell, touch, and even airflow. Honeybees have two types of eyes: compound eyes (the big ones on the sides) and three simple eyes on top called ocelli. They also have mandibles for chewing wax and a proboscis, which is like a straw for drinking nectar.

The Thorax

This is where the wings and legs attach. Honeybee wings beat around 11,000 times per minute. That is what creates the buzzing sound. They have 6 legs, and the back legs have special structures called pollen baskets (or corbiculae) where they pack pollen to carry back to the hive.

The Abdomen

The abdomen has 7 segments and contains the wax glands that produce beeswax. And of course, the stinger. Here is the catch with the stinger: in worker bees, it is barbed. That means when a worker stings you, the stinger gets stuck in your skin and rips out of the bee’s body. The bee dies. So when a bee stings you, it is a one-way trip for her. She made a choice.

Queens have stingers too, but theirs are not barbed. More on that in the next chapter.

Fun Facts About Honeybees

Kim Pezza includes some cool details that are worth knowing:

• Honeybees fly at about 12 to 15 miles per hour
• They forage within a 1 to 5 mile radius of their hive
• They perform best in temperatures between 62 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit
• They can see all colors except red

That last one is interesting. If you have ever wondered why bee-friendly flowers tend to be blue, purple, yellow, and white, now you know. Red just does not register for them.

Why This Matters for Beekeepers

Understanding the different types of honeybees helps you pick the right one for your situation. Living in a cold climate? German or Russian bees might be your best bet. In a city with close neighbors? Carniolans are calm and well-mannered. Just starting out and want something forgiving? Go Italian.

And knowing basic anatomy and behavior helps you understand what you are seeing when you open up a hive. The more you know about how these creatures work, the better beekeeper you will be.

Next up, we are getting into the hierarchy of the hive. Queens, workers, drones. It is basically a tiny monarchy with a very efficient labor force.

Previous: A Short History of Honeybees and Beekeeping | Next: The Honeybee Hierarchy - Queen, Workers, and Drones