mehiläisyhdyskunta

A mehiläisyhdyskunta, or bee colony, is a complex social unit composed of thousands of individual honey bees. It is typically organized around a single queen bee, who is responsible for reproduction. The vast majority of the colony consists of female worker bees, who perform all the necessary tasks for the colony's survival. These tasks include foraging for nectar and pollen, building and maintaining the hive, caring for the young, and defending the colony from threats. Male bees, known as drones, have the sole purpose of mating with a virgin queen.

The life cycle of a bee colony is intrinsically linked to the queen. She lays eggs, which develop into larvae and then pupae before emerging as adult bees. Worker bees feed and nurture the developing brood. The colony's ability to thrive depends on a constant supply of nectar and pollen, which serve as sources of carbohydrates and protein, respectively. These resources are stored in the hive, forming honey and bee bread, to sustain the colony through periods of scarcity, such as winter.

Communication within a mehiläisyhdyskunta is sophisticated, utilizing a combination of chemical signals (pheromones) and intricate dances. The waggle dance, for instance, is performed by a returning forager to inform other workers about the location of food sources. The colony operates as a superorganism, where the survival and reproduction of the individual bees are subordinate to the well-being of the entire colony. This social structure and cooperative behavior are key to the remarkable success and adaptability of honey bees.