Hummel is predominantly populated by a new race known as the Bienen (H. mel), although some humans refer to Bienen as "Swarmers", generally out of racism and discontent. In comparison to H. sapiens, Bienen males are a lot shorter than male humans, with the average height being 5'0''. Females are slightly taller than males, although they are still on the short side at an average of 5'3''. Bienen have human heads, with the exception of two black antennas that grow on the center-front of the scalp. The antennas emit pheromones which allow Bienben to communicate with each other and express emotions without the usage of words. They have a similar hair color spectrum to humans, although they tend to have black or blonde hair, with red and brown being rarer. While they do have eyebrows and eyelashes, neither gender otherwise grows facial hair, and neither have any hair outside of their head. Bienben lack the genes required to have brown eyes; blue is the dominant eye color, with green being the main recessive color.
The torso of Bienen are also very humanlike, with a fleshy apperance like H. sapiens. This, along with the face, would be considered Caucasian by human standards, and is generally Northern European in appearance. Bienen have two arms, and have five fingered hands, including opposable thumbs. Females do have vestigal mammary glands, although they do not serve any true purpose. These glands are smaller on average than humans, and Bienen generally aren't aroused by any form of breast size or cleavage. Bienben do not develop as extensive muscles as humans do, and look frailer than their simian counterparts. On the back, Bienen have wings, which is generally the size of their hand to their elbow. However, they don't have the ability to fly, and the wings have been adapted to usage of personal air conditioning.
The pelvic region, however, is more similar to the abdomen of bees. Like them, their pelvic region is black, with yellow stripes. It extrudes farther than skin does, giving a definite and obvious waist line. In between the legs exists a stinger for females and an ovipositor for males. Slightly below the female's stinger is a vagina-ish hole where eggs are laid. The stinger is around half the size of the legs, while the ovipositor and the quasi-vagina are of similar size to the penis and vagina of humans, respectively. Both sexes have a rectum comparable to where a human's would be, but there is no equivalent of buttocks. These creatures have the ability to bend their pelvic region in a way to have their stinger in front of them, parallel to the ground. This allows them to sting, which is fully functional. Unlike regular bees, their stingers do not get caught in human flesh, and thus don't risk death by stinging them. Bienen have legs identical to those of humans, with the previously mentioned lack of hair.
While Bienen biologically follow the traditional male-female genders, Bienen society recognizes three genders. They are Workers, or infertile females; Queens, or fertile females, and Drones, or males. In terms of gender ratios, it is lopsided in favor of females, with a 4:1 ratio being the norm. The Bienen reproductive cycle most similarly matches with monotremes, although their multiple openings prevent them from being classified as one. About once a month, a Queen will lay between 3 and 10 eggs which, unlike humans, are continuously produced over a Queen's lifetime. This can be prevented by a Queen eating a sufficient amount of Bienen honey, produced for consumption during winter, by activating hormones which causes a premature abortion. Said honey is produced regurgitation of consumed sugars, and is voluntary to make. Otherwise, the sex of the egg is determined by if it was fertilized or not. A fertilized egg grows up to be a diploid female, while an unfertilized egg in fact becomes a haploid male.
Fertilization, like most mammals, is achieved through intercourse. Intercourse is very dangerous for Drones; their climax is defined by their ovipositor being forcibly deattached from his body, rupturing his body and causing him to bleed to death without intervention. Modern science has allowed for most Drones to survive by repairing the rupture, but they can not breed again. Intercourse generally fertilizes at least one egg, but not an entire litter of eggs. Therefore, its not uncommon for batches to be split between fatherless sons, and daughters with different fathers.
After the eggs are laid, they hatch around one month afterwards: one ninth of the time it takes for a human embryo to develop into an infant. Infants are of the same size and development as a human baby. At birth, all females are Workers. Queens are produced by feeding an infant a copious amount royal jelly, a substance produced when Workers consume Bienen honey. To promote genetic diversity, Drones are immeditaly given to the government and distributed to another Queen to be raised. Workers are generally also not raised by Queens themselves, and are generally given to a Worker or even a human family to raise, particularly to one in their domain. Queens are raised by their mothers much like humans raise their own kids. A Queen typically produces somewhere between 2 and 5 Queens within her lifetime.
Beyond this, Bienen development closely correlates humans. They reach puberty in their early teens, finish it in their late teens, reach peak development in their thirties, start to show signs of aging in their sixties, and die in their eighties. Queens can technically start laying eggs in their teens, but due to social stigma, they generally eat the honey until they are the head of the household they are in, or reach their thirties, whatever comes first. Queens can produce eggs up until they die, but tend to stop once their daughters start to have children.
The social structure of Bienen emulate medieval Europe. The lowest Queen is considered to be superior to the highest Worker, an idea rarely ever questioned by the Workers. Queens in fact can produce pheromones which can control Workers to a very limited extent. However, at the same point, the Queens have an obligation in Bienen society to protect their Workers, who are generally their own daughters. Therefore, an altruistic mindset has developed where the nobility help the plight of their peasants in return for their obedience.
Drones are treated in a chauvinistic manner not unlike human women were in the 19th century. Drones rarely see their mother after birth, and are raised in a harem with other random Drones to a completely different Queen. They receive a nominal education, but its only to learn how to be a good steward and houseservent. After they lose their ovipositor, it is mandated that they get surgery to keep him alive. However, unless he had particularly high favor with his Queen, a Drone is generally abandoned by his Queen, and he has to make his life in the realm of Workers. There, it is expected that the Drone does domestic or low level service work, with little job openings elsewhere.
Workers, in the absence of having a mate, tend to form a relationship with another Worker. They would have a marriage ceremony, move in together, and raise a Worker together. Less often, one Worker would make a family with a Drone who already had bred. That relationship isn't frowned upon, but it is considered out of the ordinary.
Although Bienen make up most of Hummel society, around 20% of the populations are in fact humans. Humans are considered uncanny by Bienen, and the feeling is often mutual. However, they aren't particularly discriminated against. Human females are for all intents and purposes considered to be equal to a Female worker. Males are considered to be very weird and strange, but besides their novelty, they are generally also welcomed as the equal to Workers, although until very recently they were barred from the army.
