Scientific name: Apis Mellifera      Common name: Honey bee

About:

Apis Mellifera  live in colonies consisting of anywhere from 10,000 to 60,000 thousand bees.  These bees are divided into separate categories , with all the males being drones and all of the females being worker (the bees you can see collecting pollen from up to 2,000 flowers a day).  In the winter the colony exiles the drones in order to preserve food and  the remaining huddle together in an attempt to conserve heat.   

        Key Information:

Size:  12-17mm

Habitat: Grasslands, Woodlands

When to see: March to September

Speed: 12 to 20 mph 

Family: Apidae 

Order: Hymenoptera

Biological rank: Species 

Fun Fact: Some honey bees can be found to have an orange ring around their leg and this acts as a small pocket , allowing them to store more pollen.

How to Identify:

This bee is almost unmistakeable when compared to any other type of bee. This bee tends to be smaller than most with much shorter hairs along their body, which distinguishes them from long haired bees that often appear as fuzzy. This bee can also be distinguished by its flight path as they will often stay near either the nest of large bodies of flowers. Finally a way to determine if this bee is male of female is size and location. Females tend to be smaller than the males however males tend to not leave the nest until expulsion occurs towards the end of the summer.