The Basics of Bees and Beekeeping

Honey bees are social insects whose biology underpins all beekeeping practice — from anatomy and lifecycle to communication and pollination.

Key takeaways

• Honey bees live as superorganisms with castes and division of labour.
• Complete metamorphosis: egg — larva — pupa — adult with caste timing differences.
• Pollination drives ecosystems and agriculture; bees are keystone pollinators.
• Genetics and bee races influence temperament, productivity and resilience.

Sections

• Introduction
• Core concepts
• Applied practice
• In practice
• References

This HTML is a lightweight reading version. See for the full editorial copy with all sections, which you can paste in later.