"Honey bee" usually conjures a single image — Apis mellifera, the Western honey bee kept in box hives worldwide. But at least eight species of Apis exist, plus hundreds of stingless bee species (tribe Meliponini) managed across the tropics. Each has evolved a distinct nest architecture, body size and colony scale suited to its native range.
Mixing species in the same hive rarely works: Apis cerana queens introduced into mellifera equipment are usually rejected or absconded from, and stingless bee colonies cannot be merged with any Apis species at all — their biology, nest structure and chemical signals are simply too different.
Switch between five managed bee species — Apis mellifera, Apis cerana, the giant and dwarf honey bees, and stingless Meliponini — and watch their nest architecture, body size and colony scale change in real time.
Each species nests differently: enclosed multi-comb cavities for mellifera and cerana, a single giant exposed comb for dorsata, a tiny twig-wrapped comb for florea, and spiral brood clusters with resin pots for stingless bees. Body length is scaled accurately relative to a millimetre ruler.
Pick a species from the dropdown, adjust colony activity and flight speed to see foragers circle the nest, and toggle cutaway view to peel back the trunk or log wall on cavity-nesting species.
Stingless bees cannot be merged with any Apis species — no shared pheromones, no shared nest form, and no sting to speak of, just a bite. Mixing managed bee species is almost always a bad idea.