12 Bee Facts

1. What's the buzz

The “buzzing” noise comes from the bee flapping its wings at very high speed - over 200 beats per second! As well as flying, they also use their wings to fan the hive (above)!

 

2. They get around

Honeybees can fly at speeds of up to 15 mph

 

3. Sweet and unique

Honeybees are the only insect that produces food for human consumption.

 

4. Tough by design

Bee Body

The honey bee has an exoskeleton, all the internal organs float in the fluid we call blood.

 

5. Getting the full picture

Bee eyes

Honey bees have 5 eyes, 2 compound and 3 simple eyes.

 

6. Family tree

bee ant

Honeybees belong to the same order as ants and that is hymenoptera.

 

7. Magnificent Seven

There are seven species of bee but with lots sub species, all from the Apis family.

 

8. A sting in the tail

Honey bees can only sting once, when the sting enters it is attached to the venom sac and that is ripped out when the sting is used.

 

9. A hard working bug

There are so many health giving products from just one insect! The honeybee produces honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly, as well as beeswax!

 

10. Bee Boys

Drones are the male honeybees, reared in the spring to mate with virgin queens.  If they are still in the hive in autumn the workers (all female) will force them out of the hive to die having no value to the colony.

 

11. The hive comes first

queen bee

The Queen (marked above with a green dot) is not the boss as generally thought but just another bee doing her job, when she can no longer do the job the hive working collectively will replace her. She can live for around 5 years.

 

12. Baby boomer

The queen can lay up to 2000 eggs per day at the height of the hives expansion. 

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