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The honeybee is an immigrant, brought to North America by settlers in the 17th century.
PHOTO BY DEBORAH HUSO |
CASTE SYSTEM. Highly social honeybees belong to three specialized castes: queens, drones and workers. The male drones, which are larger and heavier-bodied than the workers, are usually seen in early summer; their sole function is to mate with the queen. The bulk of the colony – up to 80,000 residents – is made up of workers, sterile females who maintain the hive and, when they’re older, forage outside to gather nectar, pollen and water. The queen’s job, of course, is to produce more bees.
| BUG OFF |
One of the most familiar insects in the Southeast, the honeybee builds its hive in a hollow tree but frequently ventures to meadows, open woods and gardens to partake of nectar. It’s smaller than a bumblebee, with two pairs of translucent wings.
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| BUZZ WORD |
| Ever since 17th-century settlers brought the honeybee to North America, this little insect has played a critical role in pollinating crops. This happens when the yellow dust clings to the flat “pollen baskets” on their hind legs and rubs off on the next flowers they visit. |
| GIRL POWER |
| Because the honeybee’s stinger is a modified ovipositor (egg-laying tube), only the female can sting. There’s a down side, though: After she uses her straight, barbed stinger, she dies. |
| POPULATION EXPLOSION |
| Although the queen bee mates only once, she remains fertile and may lay eggs every day for the rest of her life, which is usually three to five years. |
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