The term mining bee refers to a group of bee species belonging to the genus Andrena. In the UK, there are 67 species of mining bee, including the tawny mining bee, ashy mining bee and Clarke's mining bee. What Do Mining Bees Look Like? Identifying mining bees away from their nests can be tricky. With […]
The early bumblebee sometimes referred to as the early-nesting bumblebee, Latin name Bombus pratorum is a widely spread species visible in many areas across the UK. This relatively small species of bumblebee gains its name for being one of the first bumblebees to appear in early spring, feasting on early blooming flower varieties. What do […]
We all see bees when we're out in the garden or going for a walk. While these furry little flying creatures buzz around so fast it's hard to see what they're actually doing, but thanks to science we now have a much better understanding of bees and how they behave. Bees are flying insects and […]
The Tree bumblebee, Latin name Bombus hypnorum of the genus Bombus is a species of bumblebee present across parts of Europe and Asia. Despite its fast spread across mainland Europe and the UK this species is still not currently found in the Mediterranean or large swathes of Eastern Europe. What do Tree bumblebees look like? […]
The White-tailed bumblebee, Latin name Bombus lucorum is a species of bumblebee common across the United Kingdom and Europe. The term White-tailed bumblebee is a cover-all for three species of bumblebee with nearly indistinguishable characteristics. These three taxa are: B. lucorum - White-tailed bumblebee Bombus magnus - Northern white-tailed bumblebee Bombus cryptarum - Cryptic bumblebee […]
Yes, if bees are unable to leave the hive to collect water they are at risk of overheating. Signs of overheating include bearding (huddling in large numbers outside the hive), increase activity to collect and deposit water in the hive or in extreme cases melting honey and wax. Keeping bees in warmer climates comes with […]
Bees spend their days busily buzzing from flower to flower collecting resources to take back to the nest or hive. They use a range of techniques to quickly identify potential sources of pollen and nectar, land and extract the precious prize. When it comes to flowers and bees, not all flowers are equal, some will […]
No, while it might look like bees are eating wood, they are actually carpenter bees using their large mandibles to tunnel inside, create a nest, and do not actually ingest any of the wood extracted during this process. These holes are typically ½-inch in diameter and perfectly rounded. This ingenious technique allows the bee to […]
No, bees do not eat caterpillars. Wasps and hornets regularly predate on caterpillars and can often be mistaken for bees. Bees species excluding the Vulture bee feed on a predominantly pollen and nectar diet. This can lead to close encounters with many other insects present in the stems, leaves and flowers of plants. As a […]
Despite their name, stingless bees or meliponines are equipped with powerful mandibles to bite intruders alongside injecting a painful formic acid. Stingless bees will also use a sticky resin to actively stick intruders to the floor with some species forming a soldier caste solely to dispatch intruders. Unlike honeybees, stingless bees have vestigial (atrophied) stingers […]
Yes, while bees aren't attracted to blood in particular they are often observed drinking foul liquids including blood due to the minerals contained within. Many beekeepers operate on working farms and there have been many reports of bees investigating and drinking spilt blood from farm animals. This extends to other bodily fluids as well, believe […]
Yes, bees will happily take flight on damp days but flying in the rain for long periods or during severe rains can be dangerous for bees. Bumblebees are more likely to forage during rainy days than other species like the honeybee that will opt to stay inside the hive during precipitation. So how do bees […]
Yes, a range of bee species eat dandelions including honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees. Dandelions have been somewhat demonised as the bane of lawns all across the world. This tiny little weed actually provides a fantastic food source for the wildlife in your garden. Dandelions, Latin name (Taraxacum officinale) are championed as one of the […]
Yes, bananas contain natural sugars that bees are attracted to, however, bananas contain a compound that also occurs naturally in alarm pheromones released by bees. Feeding a banana to a managed hive or consuming a banana close to a hive can insight an aggressive reaction due to the similarity in these compounds. When it comes […]
To revive a tired bee you can simply mix two tablespoons of tap water with a tablespoon of granulated white sugar, place the solution close to the bee using a teaspoon and allow it to drink. Never feed a bee honey and don't try to force the bee to drink. How to revive a tired […]
Yes, male bumblebees will emerge in early spring before any queens. They stake out territory and try to mate with any queens that enter while driving away any competing males that try to enter their domain. This territorial attitude extends only as far as other males within their species rather than humans. Carpenter bees are […]
No, most bees consume a plant-based diet consisting of pollen and nectar. Certain species of stingless bees have been observed feeding on the flesh of dead animals but have not been observed consuming other insects like butterflies. Bees and butterflies both fall under the order Lepidoptera which means 'scaled wing' in Latin. Both of these […]
No, while it might seem like bees are eating aphids (often referred to as black flies or green flies) they're actually feeding on the sugary waste excretions produced by Aphids while feeding on tree sap. This excretion is known as 'honeydew'. It's a common misconception that bees are a natural form of pest control for […]
No, most bees have a plant-based diet rich in pollen and nectar. Some species of stingless bees have been observed feeding on the flesh of dead animals but their diet does not extend to living insects like ants. The opposite is very much true of ants with honey, honeycomb, and even protein-rich young larvae on […]
Stingless bees are a large group of species all comprised within the tribe Meliponini of the greater Apidae family and are often referred to as stingless honeybees. Stingless bees are eusocial just like honeybees meaning they display a high level of social intelligence displayed by females raising young with the support and cooperation of non-reproductive […]
Yes, many species of bumblebee and some solitary bees will hibernate in the ground over winter. They rely on fat stored over the summer months to ensure their survival through to their emergence in early spring. Winter is a challenging time for bees and with the changeable temperatures, we seem to be experiencing bees are […]
Yes, bees can and will sting you through your clothes. You will be stung more easily through tight-fitting clothes or clothing items with very thin material. Thick, baggy clothing is the best way to avoid getting stung by bees. How do bees sting you through your clothes? Honeybees have evolved for thousands of years and […]
Yes, bees can fart just like humans! Honeybees ingest pollen which is passed down into their honey stomachs and middle gut to be digested. Digested matter travels to the hindgut to be expelled as excrement, any air present in the fecal matter at the time of expulsion will become a bee fart. How do bees […]
Bumblebees use sight and smell to identify potential new foraging locations. This means they will often hover just above the heads of flowers assessing the viability of each flower. Male bumblebees can be very territorial and will often hover in one spot waiting for a female bumblebee to emerge so he can mate. Male carpenter […]
Yes, very hot light bulbs or light fixtures will kill bees on impact. Bees are attracted to light much like other flying insects via an innate positive phototactic response. This response increases considerably as the bee reaches maturity. The short video below shows the extreme reaction bees have to sources of light: Why are bees […]
Yes, bees are attracted to the mineral and salt content of urine because their floral diet lacks these two key ingredients. Soiled water or urine can act as a nutritional supplement for bees providing well-needed vitamins. This process is called Mud Puddling, relating to any insect that uses waste moisture to gain amino acids, vitamins, […]
Mason bee or in some cases mortar bee is the commonly used name for the bee species Osmia of the family Megachilidae. Bees included under the mason bee genus are the horn faced bee, the blueberry bee, the red mason bee and the orchard mason bee. What do they look like? They are typically shades […]
Bees are normally calculated foragers with a unified goal and a strict schedule. So why are some of the hive's inhabitants bumping into trees, getting lost, walking round in circles or simply unable to fly, why do bees act drunk? Bees really are drunk To put it simply they're plastered, smashed, paralytic or any other […]
Unlike reptiles, bees are unable to regrow their wings after they've been lost or damaged. Due to the large populations of bee colonies and the speed they reproduce the need to regenerate wings and limbs never played a part in their evolution. Can you help a bee with lost or damaged wings? If you find […]
Why do you find bees with no wings? We take a closer look at some of the reasons you might be finding bees with missing wings. Why am I finding bees without wings? The main reason you find bees with no wings is an RNA virus named Deformed wing virus often referred to as DWV. […]
Solitary Mason Bees are prolific pollinators, often doing the work of hundreds of honeybees with as little as 10-20 bees. Equipped with tiny Scopa hairs that transport pollen from flower to flower, Mason Bees flop from flower to flower in a chaotic fashion that is perfect for cross-pollination. Unlike Honeybees you don't need equipment and […]
You have probably heard the phrase 'busy as a bee' and this comes directly from the intricate and fast-paced lives of a bee colony. The inner workings of a bee hive are key to bee survival and it can make or break a colony. Conditions need to be just right to support the entire colony, […]
Bees are famous for producing honey, but they also produce and build with honeycomb. Not all bees produce honey so which species do? How do bees make honeycomb? What is the purpose of honeycomb? Keep reading to learn the answer to these questions and more! What Is Honeycomb? Honeycomb is a natural product produced by […]
Springtime is marked by the arrival of bees, wasps and butterflies. Many people find these critters annoying or even frightening, but they play a vital role in the health of their ecosystem and also in the success of the world's food production Bees are pollinators, meaning many crops rely on them for fertilisation. Without bees, […]
Nobody likes being caught out by rain, but for bees, a downpour is potentially life-threatening. Bees are capable of short flights during a light drizzle of rain, but a heavier rain shower is a definite problem. Therefore, it is important that you know how to save a drowning or wet bee. Bees have very fine […]
The carpenter bee is one of over 220 solitary bee species in the UK. They are so-called thanks to their nesting behaviours; carpenter bees burrow into softwood to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, as humans expand into rural areas, carpenter bees are more frequently building their nests in the sidings of homes and this can cause […]
When you find a tired bee in your home, it's probably exhausted from flying around looking for nectar and pollen all day. If so, you're probably wondering what to feed a bee? Feed the poor insect with a fresh sugar water solution to give them their strength back! To make this simple solution for an […]
Honeybee History Honeybee species first appeared during the Cretaceous period, which began approximately 450 million years ago and ended 60 million years ago. At that time, the layout of the world was vastly different, as were honeybees and their habitat. Australia, India, Antarctica, Africa and South America were one large supercontinent called Gondwana. The climate […]
Everyone knows that bee season starts in spring, but the action really ramps up in early summer. What do bees do in summer that they can't do the rest of the year? Quite a bit! Everything from climate control to nest maintenance, food production, and caring for young, summer is the busiest time of year […]
The Lifecycle of the Honeybee Whether you are just starting out as a beekeeper or you are simply interested to learn about these buzzing beauties, the lifecycle of the honeybee will certainly captivate your curiosity. In the beekeeping profession, bees are often referred to as castes. A caste is a group of individuals of the […]
To save a grounded bee you can just create a simple sugar syrup at home using granulated sugar and tap water. Mix two parts of water to one part of granulated white sugar to create a sugar solution ideal for saving grounded bees that need a quick energy boost. Should I feed a grounded bee […]
Habitat loss is a significant threat to bee populations worldwide, but how does it affect bees and their ability to thrive? From residential expansion to increases in agricultural productivity, thousands of bee species are suffering a population decline and hundreds are at risk of extinction. Understanding how habitat loss will affect bees is the key […]
Solitary bees are vital to the ecosystem and are known to pollinate with incredible efficiency. Crop production benefits from the excellent cross-pollination abilities of solitary bees such as the red mason bee, certain types of plants are specialized to only be pollinated by certain bee species. Our gardens are often filled with honeybees and bumblebees, […]
When you think of bees, you will probably immediately think of fuzzy bumblebees, their bums coated with pollen as they jump from flower to flower, or busy little honey bees carrying nectar back to the hive to make into that sweet syrup we all know and love. The mention of solitary bees seems to throw […]
The world of bees and pollinators is complex and has a much bigger impact on our lives than most people realise, but bee populations all over the world are declining at an alarming rate. This leads us to the question 'How much of our food supply do bees pollinate?'. In the UK there are 25 […]
Differences in bees reproduction across the species Just like many other insects, there are many different kinds of species of bee and their reproductive processes vary wildly across both biology and practices. So to truly answer the question 'How Do Bees Mate?' we must first look at the differences across species: The short answer Honeybee […]
Summer has passed and Autumn is quickly turning into a chilly wet Winter in the UK. Bees of all species are taking shelter and sighting our little friends is becoming harder. If you do see a bee at this time of year chances are it could be a bit of a bother so I've compiled […]
While there isn't one single answer to how long does a bee live for, the western honeybee worker lives for between 35 - 180 days based on several factors including season and location. Bumblebee workers live for less time in between 13-41 days. How Long do honeybees live for? Type Of Honeybee Life Cycle Queen […]
You can learn how to save a dehydrated bee in three easy steps just by following our simple guide below. step 1: assess if your bee is in need of help If you find a tired bee in a garden full of pollen and nectar-rich flowers, chances are it may have come to the end […]
Swarms of bees have been seen all across the United Kingdom. This leads us to the question 'Why Do Bees Swarm?'. First, we need to shortly address that it is only the honeybee that swarms in the UK. The short answer to why do bees swarm? When a honeybee hive population reaches breaking point it […]
