Bee News

The Heath Bumblebee

This rather small species of bumblebee can be found in a wide range of habitats across the United Kingdom. Appearance The heath bumblebee is characterised by its distinctive yellow collar, yellow-banded abdomen and pure white tail. It has a small, short, rounded face that’s as long as it is wide. Apart from its smaller size …

The Heath Bumblebee Read More »

the garden bumble bee

The Garden Bumblebee

The Bombus hortorum, also known as the garden bumblebee, is a species of bumblebee that is native to Europe. These bees are important pollinators for a variety of plants, including fruits and vegetables, and are known for their distinctive yellow and black striped pattern. They’re considered as one of the ‘big 7’, one of seven …

The Garden Bumblebee Read More »

tree bumblebee collecting nectar and pollen

The Different Types Of Bumblebee

There are approximately 250 different species of bumblebees across the world with varying sizes, colours and patterns and they can be found in every country except Australia and Antarctica. With so many different species of bumblebee in the genus Bombus, it’s often hard to tell which species you’re observing. We’ve detailed some of the most …

The Different Types Of Bumblebee Read More »

the leafcutter bee

The Leafcutter Bee

The leafcutter or leafcutting bee is a fascinating species of bee belonging to the genus Megachile which also includes resin bees and mason bees. *This subset belongs to the much larger Megachilidae cosmopolitan family made up of solitary species. Leafcutter bees have gained their name due to their very unique behaviour of leaf cutting. This …

The Leafcutter Bee Read More »

honeybees collecting pollen from a sunflower

How Do Bees Help Humans?

Bees are a crucial part of our ecosystem. They pollinate our crops and wild plants, which helps keep the environment healthy and provides a wide range of habitats for other insects and nails. Bees also produce honey used by humans as a food source and for a range of medicinal purposes. Let’s take a deep …

How Do Bees Help Humans? Read More »

bug hotels

The Best Bug Hotels On Amazon

We love all insects here at Revive a Bee so we wanted to make a list of some of the best bug hotels to bring your garden to life and help a wide variety of bugs and insects find their new homes. A bug hotel is a predominantly wooden structure that acts as a residence …

The Best Bug Hotels On Amazon Read More »

where do bees go in winter

Where Do Bees Go In The Winter?

Bees are one of the most important pollinators in the world, but they’re also often misunderstood. Bees live in colonies, and each colony has a different life cycle. Honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees all have their own ingenious methods and techniques for surviving a chilly winter. So how do bees survive a long winter without …

Where Do Bees Go In The Winter? Read More »

a bee flying at night

What do bees do at night?

Have you ever stopped to think, what do bees do at night? Everyone knows that the main job of most bees is to collect pollen during the warm daylight hours but where do bees go at night and what do they do? Only thanks to a study conducted back in the 80s do we know …

What do bees do at night? Read More »

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 …

Do bees hibernate in the ground? Read More »

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 …

Can bees sting through clothes? Read More »

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 …

Do bees fart? Read More »

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 …

Can light bulbs kill bees? Read More »

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, …

Are bees attracted to urine? Read More »

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 …

Why do bees act drunk? Read More »

honeybee foraging for nectar image

Population of Honeybees in the UK

A healthy honeybee colony can have as many as 50,000-60,000 individuals and in 2017 the UK government estimated the number of hives at 247,000. That means there could be as many as 1.23 million honeybees in the UK, however, the number is likely to be much less than this. The fate of British bees is …

Population of Honeybees in the UK Read More »

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, …

The Inner Workings Of A Bee Hive Read More »

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 …

How Do Bees Make Honeycomb? Read More »

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, …

Which Fruits Do Bees Pollinate? Read More »

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 …

Honeybees And Their Habitat Read More »

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 …

What Do Bees Do In Summer Read More »

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 …

The Lifecyle of the Honeybee Read More »

dual tone bee on green and orange background

What Do Bees Symbolise?

When we think about bees and what they symbolise, there are many different aspects of life to consider. Almost every part of our existence can be symbolic of a bee’s nature, the way they live or how they work. What a bee symbolises can have a profound effect on every part of our life, from …

What Do Bees Symbolise? Read More »

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 …

How To Save A Grounded Bee? Read More »

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 …

How does habitat loss affect Bees Read More »

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, …

The Best Plants For Solitary Bees Read More »

ladybug covered in pollen

Which Insects Are Pollinators?

Before you can truly answer which insects are pollinators, you must first understand what pollinators are. What are pollinators? In short, a pollinator is any animal or insect that transfers pollen from the male anther to the female stigma of a flower/plant. This process of moving pollen between flowers allows plants to reproduce and is …

Which Insects Are Pollinators? Read More »

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 …

The Lifecycle of a Solitary Bee Read More »

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 …

How Do Bees Mate? A Dangerous Dance Read More »

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 …

How To Save A Bee Read More »