Author name: Edmund

Bees drink water using their proboscis. The same long straw-like appendage they use to suck up nectar from flowers. Honey bees, bumble bees, and solitary bees need water to stay hydrated. So where do bees find water, and why do they prefer ‘dirty water’? Finding A Water Source Bees can find water in the most […]

Bees often sport a charmingly fluffy appearance. This fluffiness is due to the numerous fine hairs covering their bodies.  These hairs range from the short and bristly to the long and soft, giving bees their characteristic fuzzy look. But the hair on a bee’s body isn’t just for show; it serves as a helpful aid

Guard bees are the frontline defence of any bee colony. They assess every visitor approaching the hive or nest. How do these bees identify friends from foes, and what kinds of unwanted guests do these bees have to look out for? From friend to intruder, let’s see how guard bees fit into the hive and

Nurse bees are young female honeybees tasked with caring for the eggs and feeding the young larvae in the hive.  It’s one of several roles a worker bee will carry out, essential for the next generation’s success. From brood to bee, we look at nurse bees’ fascinating role in a honey bee colony. The Lifecycle

Bees in a chimney can be anything from a minor nuisance to a life-threatening risk if you or your family are allergic. Honey bees swarm in early spring through to summer. They leave their current hive in search of a new home. This is the perfect guide if they’ve taken shelter in your chimney or

Bee stings are acidic. They sit between 4.5 and 5.5 on the pH scale. All female honey bees are equipped with a sting and will use it as a defence if forced to. When it comes to humans, it’s normally an accidental sting, but it can be a painful experience and even life-threatening if you’re

No, there is no such thing as a king bee. A queen bee rules over honey bees and bumble bees. Male bees are purely there to mate, and some pay for it with their life. But why no king? Let’s take a closer look at bees and how they organise their colonies, with female bees

Scout bees are mature female honey bees that help to direct the swarm to a new home. They’re elite foragers with a good understanding of the local area and excellent flying skills. But finding a new nest site isn’t easy. They must search, return and communicate their findings for the colony’s survival. We’ll fly alongside

Drones are the male bees of the hive. Their sole job is to mate with a queen and pass on their genetics to the next generation of bees. But the life of a drone isn’t a long one. From the hive to a mating flight, their life is full of danger. Let’s join the often-overlooked male

The queen is the head of the colony. She controls everything from laying new eggs to orchestrating swarming events. But the life of a queen bee isn’t without danger. From predators to her kin, her days are always numbered. Let’s enter the hive alongside royalty to see how these queens rule their hives and navigate

Honey bees are vital players in the tapestry of life that sustains us all. These buzzing insects are champions of pollination, helping plants to reproduce and produce the fruits and vegetables we eat every day.  But within the bustling world of the bee hive, a complex society thrives, each bee born into a role that

Honeycomb is up there with some of nature’s finest creations. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some, or you’re a beekeeper with some to spare, you’re in the perfect spot. We’ve got all sorts of delicious and creative ideas for you! Let’s dive straight into our tips with some mouth-watering uses for

It is a marvel of nature and a testament to the ingenuity of honey bees. But have you ever stopped to wonder why honeycombs are hexagonal? Why not squares, circles, or some other shape? Let’s delve into the science and mathematics behind this fascinating phenomenon. Why Do Bees Make Honeycomb In Hexagons? Bees are all

Honeycomb is a waxy structure honey bees make to store honey, pollen, and larvae. It’s made of hexagonal cells that are a bit of an anomaly in the natural world.  But it’s so much more than that. From its delicious taste to its starling health benefits, it’s one of nature’s most amazing foods. Click here

Yes, some spiders do eat bees. Orb-weavers, jumping, wolf and crab spiders will all hunt and consume any unfortunate bees that cross their path. Arachnids are some of the most adept predators in your garden, employing a whole range of tactics to catch and kill their prey. Let’s look at what happens when bees draw

Did you know worker bees can turn on their queen and commit treason? The matriarch is the most prized colony member, so why would the hive’s inhabitants turn on their ruler? Let’s dive into the fascinating world of bees to find out why these normally calm insects decide to overthrow their queen and why it

Yes, on rare occasions, honey bees can join another hive. This phenomenon is called ‘drifting’. Bees will land at the entrance to another hive and try to gain entry past the vigilant guard bees. But it’s not as simple as simply walking in. If they don’t behave precisely, they’ll be violently ejected or, worse, killed.

If you’ve ever seen bees attack on mass, you’ve probably wondered how they organise such a terrifying display. Well, it turns out that honey bees have developed a fantastic system to call for help and rally the hive’s inhabitants into battle. Let’s dive into the world of bees to find out exactly how bees call

The unconventional idea of bees as pets might initially raise eyebrows. After all, when we think of pets, we often picture furry friends who curl up on our laps, not buzzing insects that flit from flower to flower. But there’s a growing community of individuals that have started to try and make bees their pets. 

No, you won’t build a lifelong friendship with a bee you’ve just met. But beekeepers form a sort of bond with their bees, which is incredible. So how do these tiny insects work out one human from the other? Let’s buzz into the world of bees to learn more about their amazing feats of perception

No, bees can’t swim like we do, but they can use their wings as hydrofoils and ‘surface swim’ to reach the closest dry land. This is incredibly energy-intensive, so it needs to get to safety as quickly as possible before it gets too tired or water-logged. You heard right; bees can travel across short distances

Yes, bees have an exceptional sense of smell. They use their antennae’s many smell receptors to locate flowers, communicate through pheromones, and distinguish between hive members. Bees can detect smells from far and wide, and it’s a critical part of how they survive and thrive in the world. Let’s dive deeply into the undergrowth to

Bees are well known for their painful stings, but did you know bees can bite as well? Yes, bees are equipped with a powerful bite that, while rarely used, is still an effective deterrent to potential predators. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of bees to learn more about bee bites and why they happen.

Honey, the liquid gold bees tirelessly craft, is central to their survival. It’s their lifeline, their winter blanket, and their energy drink. But, intriguingly, this essence of their existence might be harming them simultaneously. *Important note – Feeding a wild bee honey you’ve purchased can introduce nasty diseases and parasites to an otherwise healthy colony

Yes, wasps are attracted to bees and their nests because they see them as a food source. From sweet honey to bee larvae, it’s a calorie-rich reward for any wasps that can successfully invade a hive. But that’s not the whole story. For the most part, bees and wasps get along in relative peace in

Generally, bees will attack and kill other insects but won’t eat them. Nearly all bees consume a diet of nectar and pollen that they gather from local flowers. But a few bee species have opted for a more carnivorous path, and others have learned to harvest insects with ingenious methods. Let’s jump into the question:

Bees spend their days buzzing from flower to flower, searching for precious resources. But how do they collect and carry all the nectar they need? Click here if you’d prefer to watch the video At Revive a Bee, we’re passionate about making the fascinating world of bees accessible for everyone with simple guides on the

Yes, bees can and will sting other bees; whether defence or attack, they’re not afraid to turn their barbed stingers on their own species. But what leads a bee to sting another bee, and what happens to the bee afterwards? Let’s look closer at the deadly side of an intra-species conflict and get the full