Bee Anatomy and Colony Structure

drones

• Male bees that fertilize a receptive queen

• Female bees that gather nectar

• Worker bees that build the hive

• Bees that produce honey

head

• Contains appendages for ingestion and sensory organs

• Responsible for locomotion and movement

• Serves as a protective shell

• Functions primarily in excretion

colony

• A community of thousands of worker bees, usually containing one queen with or without drones

• A group of plants growing together in a specific area

• A collection of various animal species living in harmony

• A type of government system where a country controls another territory

honeycomb

• A structure made of circular wax cells used by bees

• Consists of hexagonal beeswax cells built by the honeybees to raise brood and store honey

• A type of flower that attracts bees

• A sweet substance produced by bees from nectar

Worker bees

• Immature female bees that perform tasks around the hive

• Adult male bees that mate with the queen

• Fully developed female bees that lay eggs

• Bees that collect nectar and pollen for the hive

Pollen baskets

• Located on the outer hind legs and hold the pollen in place

• Found on the wings of bees and used for flight

• Located on the antennae and help in navigation

• Situated on the thorax and assist in temperature regulation

queen

• Sexually developed female bee; serves as the reproducer of the colony

• Worker bee responsible for foraging and caring for the young

• Male bee that fertilizes the queen

• Bee that builds and maintains the hive structure

brood

• Eggs and larvae of the hive

• A type of flower

• A method of cooking

• A group of bees

beehive

• A type of flower that attracts bees

• A place where the bee colony dwells, maintained by beekeepers

• A tool used for collecting honey

• A natural habitat for wild animals

proboscis

• A long, hairy tongue that acts like a straw to feed on water, nectar and honey and to work wax into the comb

• A short, stiff tongue used for grooming

• A flexible appendage for grasping food

• A hard beak used for cracking seeds