Bidisha Talukdar and Anjana Singha Naorem

Within the intricate web of natural wonders, honeybees are among the most fascinating creatures in the insect kingdom and are simultaneously economically significant and popular for teamwork.

A honeybee colony typically comprises three distinct castes: the diligent worker bees, the ruling queen bee, and the drones, each with unique morphological, anatomical, and functional attributes within the hive. A single queen, the most prominent member, is at the heart of the colony’s dynamics, exclusively dedicated to egg-laying. A queen can lay thousands of eggs daily, and worker bees nurture these eggs. Worker bees constitute the smallest members, performing the essential tasks that sustain the hive. Drones, the male honeybees, play a role solely in mating with the queen to propagate the colony. Although the worker bees are females, they cannot lay eggs in the queen’s presence, which releases pheromones…read more on NOPR