What is a Bee?
![Honeybees sometimes build their homes in the hollow space between the inside and outside walls of a house. Honeybees sometimes build their homes in the hollow space between the inside and outside walls of a house.](/bees-shared/images/bee-bark.jpg)
Honeybees sometimes build their homes in the hollow space between the inside and outside walls of a house.
© University of Manitoba
Honeybees
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are social insects that vary in colour, usually from a yellow-brown to a dark brown, depending on the type. They are about 12.5 mm long with a hairy body. Honeybees feed on flower nectar and also collect pollen to feed their larvae.
In the wild, they usually live in hollowed-out trees and, using wax they have produced, build cells in which to store honey and raise their larvae. Nowadays, however, most honeybees live in manufactured hives provided by beekeepers.