Description
The honey bee is a social insect living in colonies of up to 60,000 bees. They're essential for pollinating crops and wild plants. Wild honey bees nest in tree cavities.
Behavior
Honey bees are generally peaceful unless their nest is threatened. They can only sting once, after which they die. Swarming bees (a cluster following a new queen) are rarely aggressive.
What to do
If stung: remove the stinger as quickly as possible by scraping it away (don't pinch it — that squeezes more venom in). Cool the area. For multiple stings or a known allergy: call emergency services.
Pro tip
A bee swarm on a branch or post is almost never dangerous — they have no nest to defend. Leave them alone; a beekeeper can collect them.
Interesting fact
A honey bee visits 50–100 flowers per foraging trip and travels an average of 800 meters. Making 1 kg of honey takes about 4 million flower visits.