The structure of the bee explains much of what a beekeeper sees in the hive. This page covers the parts that matter in practice.

Three body parts

• Head: Eyes, antennae, mouthparts, brood food glands
• Thorax: Wings and legs; the flight muscles
• Abdomen: Digestion, wax glands, sting, fat body

The fat body — the most important for the beekeeper

This tissue in the abdomen carries immune function, detoxification and nutrient reserve.

In winter bees it is highly developed; that is precisely why they live for months rather than weeks.

Varroa feeds on this tissue. That single fact explains why the mite load in late summer is decisive for overwintering.

Respiration

The bee has no lungs. Air enters through openings along the body and reaches the tissues through a network of fine tubes.

The tracheal mite lives in those tubes. It can only enter very young bees, because the openings narrow afterwards.

Eyes and antennae

Bees see colour differently from humans: they perceive ultraviolet but barely register red. This matters when choosing hive colours to reduce drifting.

Drone eyes are large and meet at the top of the head — necessary to find the queen in flight.

The antennae carry smell and touch and are the principal sense in the dark hive.

Glands

• Brood food glands in the head; active in young bees and producing larval food
• Wax glands on the underside of the abdomen; active at a particular age
• Scent gland at the tip of the abdomen; used to orient nestmates

Which glands are working at which time determines the worker's sequence of tasks.

The sting

The worker's sting is barbed and remains in the skin; the bee dies. Stinging therefore costs the colony as well.

The queen has a smooth sting; drones have none.

The pollen basket

On the worker's hind legs. Queen and drone lack it — one of the clearest distinguishing features.

The tongue

Its length varies by subspecies and determines which flowers are accessible. It is one of the traits on which subspecies differ.