Honey bees construct elaborate nests that serve as the central hub for their colony, facilitating the rearing of young and the storage of vital resources. Understanding these structures provides insight into the complex lives of these social insects.
Common Nest Locations
Honey bees commonly build nests in sheltered, enclosed spaces for protection. In natural settings, they inhabit hollow trees, rock crevices, and caves. These locations offer a secure environment with a small, defensible entrance and space for colony expansion.
Man-made structures also provide suitable nesting sites, including wall voids, attics, chimneys, and abandoned buildings. Such spaces replicate natural hollows, providing stability and insulation. While less common, in warmer climates, honey bees may occasionally construct exposed, hanging nests, though these typically do not survive harsh winters.
External Appearance
The external appearance of a honey bee nest, if exposed, can vary. Exposed nests often appear as a mass of beeswax comb, typically oval or teardrop-shaped. Their color tends to be dark brown or grayish due to propolis and aging wax.
The texture of an exposed nest feels rough and waxy. It may appear covered in debris or a dense cluster of bees, often called a ‘beard’ of bees, especially during swarming. However, honey bee nests are rarely found fully exposed; they prefer to build within cavities, making visible external structures less common.
Internal Structure
The internal structure of a honey bee nest primarily consists of beeswax comb, secreted by worker bees. These combs are composed of countless hexagonal cells. While initially circular, these cells transform into their hexagonal shape during construction due to the bees’ heating and manipulation of the wax.
These hexagonal cells serve various purposes. They contain brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae), as well as stores of honey and pollen. Honey is typically stored in the upper sections of the comb, with pollen often found bordering the brood area. Brood is usually located in a compact, spherical pattern in the central and lower parts of the nest, where temperature is regulated for optimal development.
Distinguishing Honey Bee Nests
Identifying a honey bee nest involves observing characteristics that distinguish it from other stinging insects. Honey bee nests are constructed from beeswax, giving them a waxy, often golden-brown appearance, unlike the papery material used by wasps. Wasps, such as yellow jackets and hornets, build nests from chewed wood fibers, resulting in a gray, layered, and brittle texture. Wasp nests often appear as enclosed, ball-shaped structures or open, umbrella-like combs.
Bumblebee nests are less organized and often found underground in abandoned rodent burrows or dense grass. Unlike honey bees, bumblebees do not construct distinct hexagonal combs, instead using clusters of wax cells mixed with plant material. Honey bee nests typically house large colonies of thousands of individuals, displaying consistent activity at their single entrance. Wasp colonies are smaller, and bumblebee colonies are even more modest in size. If a nest is encountered, maintain a safe distance and contact a professional for identification and safe removal.