Editing Honey bee (section)

==Defense==
{{Main|Bee sting}}
[[File:Honeybee thermal defence01.jpg|thumb|''[[Apis cerana japonica]]'' forming a ball around two [[Asian giant hornet|hornets]]: The body heat trapped by the ball will overheat and kill the hornets.]]
All honey bees live in colonies where the workers [[Bee sting|sting]] intruders as a form of defense, and alarmed bees release a [[pheromone]] that stimulates the attack response in other bees. The different species of honey bees are distinguished from all other bee species by the possession of small barbs on the sting, but these barbs are found only in the worker bees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bee Bonanza. The story of Honey Bees. |url=https://askabiologist.asu.edu/bee-honey |website=askabiologist.asu.edu |date=13 June 2017 |publisher=Arizona State University |access-date=15 March 2022}}</ref>

The sting apparatus, including the barbs, may have evolved specifically in response to predation by vertebrates, as the barbs do not usually function (and the sting apparatus does not detach) unless the sting is embedded in fleshy tissue. While the sting can also penetrate the membranes between joints in the exoskeleton of other insects (and is used in fights between queens), in the case of ''Apis cerana japonica'', defense against larger insects such as predatory wasps (e.g. [[Asian giant hornet]]) is usually performed by surrounding the intruder with a mass of defending worker bees, which vibrate their muscles vigorously to raise the temperature of the intruder to a lethal level ("balling").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2001/Thawley/defense.htm |title=Heat tolerance as a weapon |author=C. H. Thawley |publisher=[[Davidson College]] |access-date=1 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718201646/http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2001/Thawley/defense.htm |archive-date=18 July 2010 }}</ref> Previously, heat alone was thought to be responsible for killing intruding wasps, but recent experiments have demonstrated the increased temperature in combination with increased carbon dioxide levels within the ball produce the lethal effect.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Heat and carbon dioxide generated by honeybees jointly act to kill hornets|journal=[[Naturwissenschaften]] |year=2009 |author1=Michio Sugahara |author2=Fumio Sakamoto |volume=96 |issue=9 |pages=1133–6 |doi=10.1007/s00114-009-0575-0 |pmid=19551367|bibcode=2009NW.....96.1133S |s2cid=22080257 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Victoria Gill |title=Honeybee mobs overpower hornets |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8129536.stm |work=BBC News |date=3 July 2009 |access-date=5 July 2009}}</ref> This phenomenon is also used to kill a queen perceived as intruding or defective, an action known to beekeepers as 'balling the queen', named for the ball of bees formed.

Defense can vary based on the habitat of the bee. In the case of those honey bee species with open combs (e.g., ''A.&nbsp;dorsata''), would-be predators are given a warning signal that takes the form of a "[[wave (audience)|wave]]" that spreads as a ripple across a layer of bees densely packed on the surface of the comb when a threat is perceived and consists of bees momentarily arching their bodies and flicking their wings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909204550.htm|title=Giant Honeybees Use Shimmering 'Mexican Waves' To Repel Predatory Wasps|website=ScienceDaily}}</ref> In cavity dwelling species such as ''[[Apis cerana]]'', ''[[Apis mellifera]]'', and ''[[Apis nigrocincta]]'', entrances to these cavities are guarded and checked for intruders in incoming traffic. Another act of defense against nest invaders, particularly wasps, is "body shaking", a violent and pendulum-like swaying of the abdomen, performed by worker bees.<ref>Radloff, Sara E.; Hepburn, H. Randall; Engel, Michael S. (2011). ''Honeybees of Asia''. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media. {{ISBN|978-3642164217}}.</ref>

A 2020 study of ''[[Apis cerana]]'' in [[Vietnam]] found that they use [[feces]] and even human urine to defend their hives against raids by hornets (''[[Vespa soror]]''), a strategy not replicated by their European and North American counterparts,<ref name="Mattila-2020">{{cite journal | last1=Mattila | first1=Heather R. | last2=Otis | first2=Gard W. | last3=Nguyen | first3=Lien T. P. | last4=Pham | first4=Hanh D. | last5=Knight | first5=Olivia M. | last6=Phan | first6=Ngoc T. | editor-last=Blenau | editor-first=Wolfgang | title=Honey bees (Apis cerana) use animal feces as a tool to defend colonies against group attack by giant hornets (''Vespa soror'') | journal=PLOS ONE | volume=15 | issue=12 | date=9 December 2020 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0242668 | page=e0242668| pmid=33296376 | pmc=7725375 | bibcode=2020PLoSO..1542668M | s2cid=228087051 | doi-access=free }}</ref> though collection and use of feces in nest construction is well-known in [[stingless bee]]s.<ref>Basari N, Ramli SN, Mohd Khairi NS. (2018) Food reward and distance influence the foraging pattern of stingless bee, ''Heterotrigona itama''. Insects 9(4):138. doi:10.3390/insects9040138</ref><ref>Jalil, A.H. (2014) ''Beescape for Meliponines: Conservation of Indo-Malayan Stingless Bees''</ref>

===Venom===
The stings of honey bees are barbed and therefore embed themselves into the sting site, and the sting apparatus has its own musculature and ganglion which keep delivering venom even after detachment.<ref name="Biller-2014">{{cite book |last1=Biller |first1=Jose |last2=Ferro |first2=Jose M |title=Neurologic Aspects of Systemic Disease, Part II |date=7 February 2014 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=9780702040870 |page=995 |edition=1st}}</ref> The gland which produces the alarm pheromone is also associated with the sting apparatus. The embedded stinger continues to emit additional alarm pheromones after it has torn loose; other defensive workers are thereby attracted to the sting site. The worker dies after the sting becomes lodged and is subsequently torn loose from the bee's abdomen. The honey bee's venom, known as [[apitoxin]], carries several active components, the most abundant of which is [[melittin]],<ref name="Chen-2016">{{cite journal | vauthors = Chen J, Guan SM, Sun W, Fu H | title = Melittin, the Major Pain-Producing Substance of Bee Venom | journal = Neuroscience Bulletin | volume = 32 | issue = 3 | pages = 265–72 | year = 2016 | pmid = 26983715 | pmc = 5563768 | doi = 10.1007/s12264-016-0024-y }}</ref> and the most biologically active are [[enzyme]]s, particularly [[phospholipase A2]].<ref>{{cite journal|pmc=4548770|year=2015|last1=Ramanadham|first1=S|title=Calcium-independent phospholipases A2 and their roles in biological processes and diseases|journal=Journal of Lipid Research|volume=56|issue=9|pages=1643–1668|last2=Ali|first2=T|last3=Ashley|first3=J. W|last4=Bone|first4=R. N|last5=Hancock|first5=W. D|last6=Lei|first6=X|doi=10.1194/jlr.R058701 |doi-access=free |pmid=26023050}}</ref>
[[File:Honey Bee Colony Count by Number of United States' States (Jan 1, 2015).png|thumb|342x342px|Shows active colonies on January 1, 2015 with state count.<ref>https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/rn301137d/p2676z253/gq67jv05t/BeeColonies-05-12-2016.pdf</ref>  The highest states being those like California and Florida with the most colonies.]]
[[File:Honey Bee Colony Count by Number of States (Jan 1, 2023).png|thumb|341x341px|Shows active colonies on January 1, 2023 with state count.<ref>https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/rn301137d/4j03fq210/8w32sw99n/hcny0824.pdf</ref> The highest states being those like California and Texas with the most production.]]
Honey bee venom is under laboratory and [[clinical research]] for its potential properties and uses in reducing risks for [[adverse event]]s from bee venom [[therapy]],<ref>{{cite journal|pmc=4440710|year=2015|last1=Park|first1=J. H|title=Risk Associated with Bee Venom Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=10|issue=5|pages=e0126971|last2=Yim|first2=B. K|last3=Lee|first3=J. H|last4=Lee|first4=S|last5=Kim|first5=T. H|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0126971|pmid=25996493|bibcode=2015PLoSO..1026971P|doi-access=free}}</ref> [[rheumatoid arthritis]],<ref>{{cite journal|pmc=4225238|year=2014|last1=Lee|first1=J. A|title=Bee venom acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials|journal=BMJ Open|volume=4|issue=11|pages=e006140|last2=Son|first2=M. J|last3=Choi|first3=J|last4=Jun|first4=J. H|last5=Kim|first5=J. I|last6=Lee|first6=M. S|doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006140|pmid=25380812}}</ref> and use as an [[immunotherapy]] for protection against [[allergy|allergies]] from insect stings.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=23076950|year=2012|last1=Boyle|first1=R. J|title=Venom immunotherapy for preventing allergic reactions to insect stings|journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=10|pages=CD008838|last2=Elremeli|first2=M|last3=Hockenhull|first3=J|last4=Cherry|first4=M. G|last5=Bulsara|first5=M. K|last6=Daniels|first6=M|last7=Oude Elberink|first7=J. N|issue=2|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD008838.pub2|pmc=8734599 |url=https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/67436563/Boyle_et_al_2012_Cochrane_Database_of_Systematic_Reviews.pdf}}</ref> Bee venom products are marketed in many countries, but, as of 2018, there are no approved clinical uses for these products which carry various warnings for potential allergic reactions.<ref name="Drugs.com-2018">{{cite web |title=Wasp and Bee venom |url=https://www.drugs.com/pro/wasp-and-bee-venom.html |publisher=Drugs.com |access-date=29 June 2018 |date=2018}}</ref>