Appearance

Appearance

Workers are usually smaller than Western Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), but their color varies across the species. A close photograph may still be inconclusive.

Look-alikes

Western Honey BeeApis mellifera

Eastern Honey Bee workers are usually smaller, but color overlaps. A clear close-up of the hind wing can show an extra vein in Eastern Honey Bees that Western Honey Bees lack.

Why they get mixed up · Both are brown-and-black honey bees that gather nectar and pollen.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• tree cavities
• rock cavities
• farm landscapes
• managed hives

Range

The native range stretches across South, Southeast, and East Asia, including Korea and Japan. This species has not become established in the United States.

Preferred conditions

Wild colonies build several parallel combs inside dark cavities. Tropical and temperate populations differ in body size, colony size, and how often they swarm or leave a nest.

Behavior

Diet

Workers gather nectar and pollen from flowers and store food in wax combs.

Social life

A colony usually has one queen, several thousand female workers, and males during part of the year. When a colony grows, a queen and many workers may leave together to start another nest.

Life cycle

Nest

The nest contains several vertical, parallel wax combs. Cells hold developing young, pollen, and honey.

Connected species

Pollinators

Across its Asian range, the species pollinates crops and wild plants while gathering nectar and pollen.

Parasites

• Varroa miteVarroa destructor

  This mite originally used the Eastern Honey Bee as its host in Asia.

Name and classification

About the name

Asiatic Honey Bee and Oriental Honey Bee are other English names for this species. It includes several regional subspecies.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• People in Asia have kept this cavity-nesting bee for honey, wax, and crop pollination for a very long time.