Bee Facts

our favourite spring flowers for bees

6 Amazing Spring Flowers For Bees

Spring is a time of renewal and growth, and it’s also a crucial season for bees. As they emerge from hibernation and begin their search for food, it’s essential to provide them with the best flowers for bees in spring. In this article, we’ll explore some of the top options for providing sustenance to these …

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a mining bee collecting resources from a flower

The Mining Bee

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 …

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the early bumblebee collecting nectar and pollen

The Early Bumblebee

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 …

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tree bumblebee collecting nectar and pollen

The Tree Bumblebee

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? …

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white tailed bumblebee taking flight

The White-Tailed Bumblebee

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 …

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do bees overheat

Do bees overheat?

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 …

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8 Bee-Friendly Flowers We Just Love

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 …

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bee at the entrance to nest in burrowed wood

Do bees eat wood?

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 …

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caterpillar on a plant stem

Do bees eat caterpillars?

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 …

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a stingless bee foraging for nectar and pollen

How do stingless bees defend themselves?

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 …

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are bees attracted to blood

Are bees attracted to blood?

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 …

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bee collecting nectar and pollen from a flower after heavy rain

Can bees fly in the rain?

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 …

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a bee eating dandelions

Do bees eat dandelions?

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 …

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do bees eat bananas

Do bees eat bananas?

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 …

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territorial bumblebee

Are bumblebees territorial?

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 …

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bee and butterfly sharing some flowers

Do bees eat butterflies?

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 …

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aphid eating tree sap

Do bees eat aphids?

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 …

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a bee and an ant on a flower

Do bees eat ants?

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 …

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solitary mining bee

Do bees hibernate in the ground?

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 …

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can bees sting you through clothes

Can bees sting through clothes?

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 …

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bee farting mid air

Do bees fart?

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 …

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bumblebee hover in one spot

Why do bumblebees hover in one spot?

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 …

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can light bulbs kill bees

Can light bulbs kill bees?

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 …

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bee drinking pee

Are bees attracted to urine?

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, …

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why do bees act drunk

Why do bees act drunk?

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 around 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 …

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can bees grow their wings back

Can Bees Grow Their Wings Back?

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 …

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bees with no wings

Bees with no wings?

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. …

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the inner working of a hive

The Inner Workings Of A Bee Hive

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, …

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bees making honeycomb in the hive

How Do Bees Make Honeycomb?

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 …

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golden northern bee watercolour on an orange background

Which Fruits Do Bees Pollinate?

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, …

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honeybee on a dark green background

Honeybees And Their Habitat

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 …

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watercolour Blue banded bee on a blue background

What Do Bees Do In Summer

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 …

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watercolour honeybee on orange background

The Lifecyle of the Honeybee

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 …

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a grounded bee

How To Save A Grounded Bee?

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 …

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Rubbish bin overflowing contributing towards destruction of natural habitat

How does habitat loss affect Bees

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 …

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solitary bee collecting nectar from a plant

The Best Plants For Solitary Bees

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, …

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solitary mining bee

The Lifecycle of a Solitary Bee

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 …

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two honeybees on a yellow flower

How Do Bees Mate? A Dangerous Dance

Have you ever wondered how bees mate and reproduce in such large numbers? Look no further, we’ve created a detailed guide to help you understand how common bee species increase their population. From queen honey bees and the drones they mate with to furrier varieties of bumblebees and their mating rituals, we’ll take a closer …

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bee searching for nectar and pollen

How To Save A Bee

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 …

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how long do bees live for

How Long Does A Bee Live For?

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 …

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three bees drinking

How To Save A Dehydrated Bee?

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 …

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