Knowra Honey bee Honey bee A social bee in the genus Apis that lives in colonies and produces honey and beeswax. Honey bees communicate food locations through dances and support reproduction through a queen, workers, and drones.
Queen bee : The usually single reproductive female in a honey bee colony, responsible for laying most of its eggs. Her egg-laying sustains the colony, while workers regulate her care and replacement.
Waggle dance : A movement pattern honey bees use to convey the direction and distance of a food source to nestmates. Foragers use it to recruit other workers to flowers beyond the immediate vicinity.
Pollination : The transfer of pollen from an anther to a receptive stigma, enabling fertilization in seed plants. Foragers transfer pollen between flowers while collecting food.
Apis : A genus of highly social bees that includes the honey bees. Honey bees are members of this genus, whose species share social colony life.
Colony collapse disorder : A phenomenon in which most adult worker bees abruptly disappear from a managed colony, leaving brood and food behind. It drew attention to threats facing managed honey bee colonies, though it is not a single cause of bee decline.
Worker bee : A non-reproductive female honey bee that performs most foraging, brood care, nest construction, and defense. Workers carry out nearly every task needed to maintain the colony.
Nectar : A sugar-rich liquid produced by plants, often in flowers, that attracts animal pollinators. Foragers collect nectar as the principal raw material for honey.
Crop pollination : The transfer of pollen to agricultural plants to support fruit, seed, or crop production. Managed honey bee colonies are moved to fields and orchards for this service.
Western honey bee : Apis mellifera, a honey bee species native to Europe, Africa, and parts of western Asia and widely managed worldwide. It is the principal species kept for honey and pollination in much of the world.
Varroa destructor : A parasitic mite that feeds on honey bees and transmits viruses, causing major harm to colonies. This parasite is among the most damaging pressures on managed honey bees.
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