From the archive record
These tiny bees are actually a dwarf species that is often seen in South Asia, and they make tiny hives hidden away in thick shrubbery and rarely seen. The warming bees are hard working and self sufficient and neither invade other bee species while also staying away from trouble. The dwarf honey bee (or red dwarf honey bee), Apis florea, is one of two species of small, wild honey bees of southern and southeastern Asia. It has a much wider distribution than its sister species, Apis andreniformis. First identified in the late 18th century, Apis florea is unique for its morphology, foraging behavior and defensive mechanisms like making a piping noise. Apis florea have open nests and small colonies, which makes them more susceptible to predation than cavity nesters with large numbers of defens