Gut microbiota have many potential beneficial effects on the digestion, nutrition, resistance and health, of bees. To better understand the gut microbiota of pollinators, this paper summarizes artificial cultivation methods for, and biological characteristics of, honey bee gut microbiota, including the bacterial genera Snodgrassella, Gilliamella, Frischella, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium, as well as two anaerobic bacterial compositions, alpha-1 and alpha-2. This knowledge will help isolate bacterial species for further research on their specific function in the honey bee, an approach that will facilitate better understanding of the role played by gut microbiota in bee nutrition and health.