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.
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…
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 fend for themselves.
Bees that live in colonies are referred to as social bees. These include honeybees and bumblebees, among others. Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about bee colonies.
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 scientific evidence that bee pollen is just as good for us as it is for the bees who make it. So, what is bee pollen, and why has it risen in popularity in recent times?
Have you ever noticed that bees are a seasonal occurrence? In the spring and summer, you’ll find an abundance of them, attending to their needs. They pollinate flowers, swarming and buzzing about all over the place, as bees tend to do.
When winter comes, however, they seem to disappear. Where do they go in that time? Do bees hibernate, migrate, or die out when it’s cold? There is much to learn on this topic and it’s more proof that there’s more than meets the eye with bees.
It’s easy to forget just how much we get from bees. The “bee apocalypse” has made more people aware of their role in pollination and how they’re responsible for around 80 percent of our food. Not to mention we harvest their honey, which is one of the healthiest (and tastiest) foods we can enjoy.
Bees are seasonal insects. Most of us have come to believe that they aren’t active when it’s cold out, because we just don’t see them in winter. But that’s not entirely true. Some bees do remain active in the winter, they just do so behind closed doors.
Bumblebees and carpenter bees have more in common than you might think. It’s not uncommon for people to confuse the two, especially since they look so alike. They do, however, have quite a few differences.
The assumption that all bees in the world build and live in hives is as old as time. That picture of the honeybee hive hanging peacefully in a tree is something we’ve all imagined at some point. This is, however, not very realistic.
Male bees, also referred to as drones, are developed from unfertilized eggs. The drones might look quite similar to female worker bees, however, they are very different. Drones have a specific role in the colony—this also differs depending on the species.