Honey Bees break down into two classes, the worker bees (numbering up to 80,000 in a single nest) and the Queen Bee. Unlike wasps, they create hives out of wax (not a paper-like substance) and only swarm when they are without a queen (after she dies, but before a new one replaces her).
Working bees feature a nearly all-black head with a body coloring of golden brown and black with patches of a dull orange. Yellow bands are easily distinguishable on the abdomen and wings are clear. Their entire bodies are covered in tiny hairs with these being most notable on the head an body.
They are found throughout the United States and are also bred commercially. Currently, honey bee populations are disappearing from commercial hives for unknown reasons. Entomologists call this anomaly CCD, or Colony Collapse Disorder. Honey bees are a super-pollinator for all fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption and a limited number of them can directly effect how much produce is harvested.
They originated as transplants from New World colonists coming to America. Workers measure between 9 and 18mm while queens cover some 18 to 20mm in length.