The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the best-known bee species and is divided into different breeds. They are brown and black striped and are found all over the world. There are five different breeds in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with the Carnica bee being one of the best known. In contrast to wild bees, the honey bee lives in an organized colony and performs various tasks over the course of its short life - from cleaning bee to forager bee - always in the service of the colony and the queen bee.