Honey production is a biological process evolved by only a small fraction of the world’s bee species. Honey is fundamentally nectar that worker bees repeatedly ingest and regurgitate, adding specific enzymes. They reduce the moisture content to below 20% through fanning. This process transforms perishable, high-water nectar into a stable, high-energy food that sustains a colony for months. The capacity to stockpile significant amounts of this resource is tied to a species’ highly organized, perennial social structure, which requires massive stores to survive non-flowering seasons.
The Primary Commercial Honey Bee Species
The species responsible for nearly all globally distributed honey is the Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera). This species is dominant in apiculture due to its docility, adaptability to diverse climates, and exceptional honey yield. Originating in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, A. mellifera has been established worldwide for honey production and agricultural pollination. A well-managed colony can store between 30 and 60 kilograms of honey annually, far surpassing the production of other species.
This bee’s success in commercial settings stems from its large colony size, which can swell to 80,000 individuals during a strong foraging season, and its habit of nesting in enclosed cavities. The bees build multiple parallel wax combs, a trait that makes them perfectly suited for modern, movable-frame beekeeping hives. The ease of inspecting, managing, and extracting honey from these uniform structures has solidified Apis mellifera’s position as the dominant species in the industry.
The Global Family of Honey Bees
Beyond the globally managed species, the genus Apis encompasses several other true honey-producing bee species, mostly native to Asia. These include the Asian Honey Bee (Apis cerana), which is kept in hives much like its Western counterpart, though it forms smaller colonies and produces less honey. Apis cerana is noted for its hardiness and resistance to certain pests. This makes it a locally preferred choice in many parts of South and East Asia.
Other Apis members, such as the Giant Honey Bee (Apis dorsata) and the Dwarf Honey Bees (Apis florea), build single-comb nests in the open, typically on tree branches or cliffs. These species are difficult to manage in conventional hives due to their open-air nesting behavior and, for A. dorsata, their aggressive temperament. While they produce large quantities of honey, the product is primarily harvested through traditional, local practices known as “honey hunting.”
Stingless Bees: Alternative Honey Producers
Stingless bees, belonging to the tribe Meliponini, also produce and store honey, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. These bees are significantly smaller than Apis species and possess reduced, non-functional stingers, relying instead on biting or resin secretion for defense. Stingless bees store their harvest in small, waxy storage pots made of cerumen, a mixture of wax and plant resin. This differs from the large, uniform hexagonal combs of honey bees.
The honey from stingless bees is distinctive, often called “sugarbag” or “bush honey,” and differs chemically from Apis honey. It has a higher water content and a unique, tangy, or slightly sour flavor profile, leading to a thinner consistency. Stingless bee colonies produce far less honey, yielding only one to four kilograms per year, making it a highly prized gourmet or medicinal product rather than a commodity for mass production.
Common Bees That Do Not Produce Honey
The majority of the world’s approximately 20,000 bee species do not produce honey, including common types like Bumblebees (Bombus) and all Solitary Bees. These species lack the large, perennial colony structure that necessitates the creation of long-term, concentrated food stores. Solitary bees, such as Mason bees and Leafcutter bees, live alone, with a female provisioning each egg cell with a ball of pollen and nectar for the larva to eat.
Bumblebees live in small, annual colonies that die off in the autumn, with only the newly mated queen surviving to hibernate through the winter. Since the colony does not need to sustain thousands of individuals through an extended cold season, the nectar they collect is consumed rapidly. They store only enough concentrated nectar and pollen to feed their small, temporary brood, unlike the massive reserves built by the highly social Apis species.