Mehiläisytéskunta

Mehiläisytéskunta, meaning "bee colony" in Finnish, refers to the complex social structure of a bee population, typically a honeybee colony. This highly organized community functions as a superorganism, with each individual bee playing a specific role to ensure the survival and prosperity of the entire group. The colony is typically composed of three distinct types of bees: the queen, the drones, and the workers.

The queen bee is the reproductive center of the colony. She is the only fertile female and her primary function is to lay eggs, which can number in the thousands per day. Her presence and pheromone production also regulate the behavior and social cohesion of the colony.

Drones are male bees whose sole purpose is to mate with a new queen. They do not participate in the daily tasks of the hive, such as foraging or defending the colony, and are often expelled from the hive before winter to conserve resources.

Worker bees are sterile females and constitute the vast majority of the colony's population. They undertake all the labor required for the colony's survival. This includes foraging for nectar and pollen, building and maintaining the honeycomb, caring for the queen and brood, regulating the hive's temperature, and defending the colony from threats. Worker bees progress through different roles as they age, from nursing young bees to foraging. The collective efforts of these individuals create a highly efficient and resilient social unit.