Asian Honey Bee

Behavior

In the wild, "A. cerana" prefer to nest in small spaces, such as hollowed out tree trunks. They have a foraging range of about 1 km. Most of their biology is similar to "A. mellifera" with slight differences in dance language, comb cell size and honey production. They are similar in size or somewhat smaller than "Apis mellifera" and have smaller comb cells as well.

They also have more prominent abdominal stripes. Their honey yield is smaller, because they form smaller colonies. In folk medicine, their beeswax is used to treat and heal wounds. Like the Western honey bee, they are sometimes domesticated and used in apiculture, mostly in wooden boxes with fixed frames. These bees can be adapted to living in cavities in some human structures and in purpose-made hives, and their nesting habit means that they can potentially colonize temperate or mountain areas with prolonged winters or cold temperatures.

Apart from reproductive swarming, "A. cerana" have migration and absconding behavior, abandoning the current nest and building a new nest in a new location where there is an abundant supply of nectar and pollen available. These bees usually don’t store great amounts of honey. This means that they are more vulnerable to starvation if there is a prolonged shortage of nectar and pollen.

Absconding will start when there is not enough pollen and nectar. After the last brood emerges, the adult bees fill their honey stomachs from the hive's stores and swarm to establish a new nest at a new location. "A. cerana" has more absconding behavior than "A. mellifera"."A. cerana" communicate with their nest members about the presence and location of food and water sources by means of waggle dance and round dance languages. The waggle and round dances of "A. cerana" are performed in the dark on a vertical comb surface of a multicomb nest, so their wagging motions are conveyed via vibrations. Their dancing cycles are very slightly shorter than "A. mellifera".

Defense

"A. cerana" are more inclined to retreat inside than to attack an intruder passing near their nest. But any attempt to open the nest, especially if it is done roughly, will cause bees to fly out and sting the intruder.