ABSTRACT
Apis mellifera is a highly social insect. The colony consists of an egg-laying queen, drones to fertilize the queen, and workers to gather food and care for the young. Most honey bee colonies are artificial; however, wild colonies exist, mostly from escaped swarms, and they are usually found in hollow trees. Cells in a honey bee nest are in vertical combs and two cell layers thick. The colonies are perennial, with the queen and workers overwintering in the hive. Normally, there is only one queen per colony, and she may live for several years. When a new one is produced, it may be killed by the old queen, or one of the two may leave with a swarm of workers to build a new nest.
