Social Behavior of the Bees

Bees interact with other individuals in a multitude of different ways. The most common conception of bee interaction is based on the behaviors of the honeybee, an incredibly well-studied and highly complex system of behavior. However, the eusocial behavior of honeybees is actually a rare occurrence in nature, and native bees exhibit a range of behaviors which can be categorized as Solitary, Weakly Social, and Eusocial.

Solitary – these bees build a nest by themselves and produce offspring without ever interacting with them.

Weakly Social – bees classified as weakly social form nests individually, but unlike solitary bees, they interact with their offspring, often to create castes or initiate some form of labor division. 

Eusocial – in order for a bee species to be defined as eusocial, the bees participate in reproductive division of labor, which is the maintenance of castes within a nest, across multiple generations.