Carpenter Bees I had mistaken carpenter bees for bumblebees all my life, and now I am endlessly fascinated by how blissfully unaware so many people are regarding this. That’s no judgment on my part (obviously, since I was one of those people). I just want to clear the air. Carpenter bees are just as interesting …
Read moreCarpenter Bees – Appearance, Common Traits & Behavior
Can Bumblebees Sting? Bumblebees are gentle giants—they’re not known for being aggressive and will generally keep to themselves. Today we’re going to talk about the bumblebee sting. Are bumblebees capable of stinging and, if so, does it hurt? Most times when we think of bees, painful stings come to mind. The assumption that all bees …
Queen Bees – A Complete Guide Queen bees have one of the most important roles in the colony. They’re the founders and main egg producers, ensuring the survival of the hive. The queen bee also faces a lot of threats, some of which include parasites, other queen bees, and even execution. It’s not often that …
African Killer Bees – A Complete Guide Killer bees have quite an interesting past. In 1956, a colony of African honeybees was imported to Brazil. Brazilian beekeepers wanted to increase honey production and decided they would cross-breed the African honeybees with the local bees. This proved to be a mistake, as 26 African honeybee queens …
Sweat Bees – A Complete Guide Sweat bees are an interesting species of bee. You may wonder where their name comes from—I can tell you, it’s not because they sweat. Sweat bees are very attracted to human perspiration—it’s actually a delicious snack for them. Does that mean sweat bees are dangerous? Today we’ll answer that …
Ground Bees – A Complete Guide The word “bee” usually makes us think about the usual stuff like honey, stings — and beehives. Truth be told, about 70 percent of all the bee species in North America nest underground. Ground bees are actually a whole category of bee species. There are several common ground-nesting bees …
Honey Bees – A Complete Guide When someone says “bee,” I’m willing to bet the western honeybee instantly pops into mind. They’ve become the face of bees—almost as though they’re the standard for all Hymenoptera. Stinger? Check. Black and yellow? Check. Honey? Check… The western honeybee is, however, quite unique. They might be seen as …
Can Carpenter Bees Sting? One of the great misconceptions of bees is that all species are aggressive and sting. We shouldn’t be so quick to judge, though, as not all bees sting. Bees play an immense role in our ecosystem; without them, we wouldn’t have flowers, fruits, or living plants. Carpenter bees are no exception, …
Bee Colonies & Their Functions There are more than 20,000 species of bees worldwide. Bee colonies are a crucial part of our ecosystem. One of the most established facts about bees is that they live in colonies, although not all species do so. Solitary bees are—as their name suggests— do not create colonies, choosing to …
What Is Bee Pollen? A search on the web will show you that bee pollen has become some sort of superfood. It’s all the rage now, and people are interested in its health benefits thanks to its antioxidant properties. It might sound a bit ridiculous. Humans eating pollen. What are we? Insects? But there is …