Bee Facts and interesting information
Did you know that...
the honeybee is the only insect that produces food that is eaten by people
a honeybee's wings beat about 200 times per second, that is what we hear as a buzz
to collect enough pollen for 1kg of honey, a colony of bees will fly a distance equivalent to three Earth orbits
the honeybee takes the nectar from 2 million flowers to make a pound of honey
honey is the only food that contains "pinocembrin", an antioxidant linked to improved brain function
Queen, Drones and worker bees
Drone - the male of the honey bee species is characterised by a wider body mass and larger eyes compared to female honey bees. Drones have no sting. They do no work and are only good for mating!
Queen - a completely developed female honey bee capable of laying eggs, with a life span of approximately four to six years. She is an egg-laying machine capable of producing 1,500 eggs a day during the peak of the summer. The queen produces pheromones that communicate information throughout the hive.
Worker bee - a female honey bee that carries out the majority of the work necessary for the proper functioning of the colony and has a life span of five to six weeks during the summer and four to six months during the winter. Worker bees perform a number of different roles, acting as:
- housekeeper bees cleaning cells
- nurse bees rearing the brood or tending to the queen
- house bees receiving nectar and pollen and storing it in cells
- comb - building bees
- heater bees incubating the brood nest
- bees supplying heater bees with honey for energy
- undertaker bees removing dead bees, larvae, and pupae from the hive
- ventilation bees
- cementing bees working with propolis
- guard bees and /or emergency responder bees assisting the guards
- field bees - the oldest bees - foraging for nectar and pollen or scouting out nesting locations when swarming
The Adventure in catching a swarm of bees
Links:
The British Beekeepers Association-Bees for Schools
A review of factors that put pollinators and agriculture in Europe at risk