Scheduling of tasks in cloud computing is an NP-hard optimization problem. Load balancing of non-preemptive independent tasks on virtual machines (VMs) is an important aspect of task scheduling in clouds. Whenever certain VMs are overloaded and remaining VMs are under loaded with tasks for processing, the load has to be balanced to achieve optimal machine utilization. In this paper, we propose an algorithm named honey bee behavior inspired load balancing (HBB-LB), which aims to achieve well balanced load across virtual machines for maximizing the throughput. The proposed algorithm also balances the priorities of tasks on the machines in such a way that the amount of waiting time of the tasks in the queue is minimal. We have compared the proposed algorithm with existing load balancing and scheduling algorithms. The experimental results show that the algorithm is effective when compared with existing algorithms. Our approach illustrates that there is a significant improvement in average execution time and reduction in waiting time of tasks on queue. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.