: The mother of all bees in the hive; her primary role is laying up to 2,000 eggs per day.

Starting a hive generally costs between for basic gear.

: A veil or full suit is critical; white is preferred because bees associate black with predators like bears.

: Sterile females that do all the work—cleaning, nursing the young, guarding the hive, and foraging for nectar.

: The most common style; it consists of stacked boxes (supers), frames for comb, and a stand.