No, while it might seem like bees are eating aphids (often referred to as black flies or green flies) they’re 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 aphids, […]

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 true of ants, with honey, honeycomb, and even protein-rich young larvae on the menu

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

Black and yellow stripes on bees indicate one of two things to potential predators. Either it’s equipped with a toxic bite or sting or it tastes particularly unpleasant when consumed. Not all bees are black and yellow several species display stripes to warn potential predators. Some small flies and wasps will mimic the black and

Yes, bees are attracted to urine’s mineral and salt content because their floral diet lacks these two key ingredients. Soiled water or urine can be a nutritional supplement for bees providing well-needed vitamins. This process is called Mud Puddling and relates to any insect that uses waste moisture to gain amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

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 mason bees 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 around in circles or simply unable to fly? Why do bees act drunk? How Do Bees Get Drunk? Simply put, they’re plastered, smashed, paralytic or any other word

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. how to help a bee with a broken wing If you find a

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’d find a bee with no wings is an RNA virus named Deformed Wing virus, often called DWV. The

Mason bees are prolific pollinators, so we want to make sure these industrious insects have all the flowers they need to carry on their great work. Let’s dive straight into the undergrowth with our list of the best flowers and plants for mason bees and how to attract them to your garden or wild space.

Looking for the perfect ways to help bees? We’ve covered you with our list of the best bee hotels for your garden. Bee populations struggle due to several factors like habitat destruction, industrial farming, disease, and parasites, so it’s never been more important for us to do our part. When you install a bee hotel,

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

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. We’ve got the ultimate guide on how to help a wet bee back to life so let’s dive straight in. Can Bees Drown In Water? Bees are capable of short flights during a drizzle of rain, but a heavier rain

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

Have you found a tired bee in your home? it’s probably exhausted from looking for nectar and pollen all day. But, don’t worry. You can feed your tired insect friend a fresh sugar-water solution to help them regain their strength! To make this simple energy drink for an exhausted bee, mix two parts water to

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

As beekeepers, we know that honey bees are an essential part of our ecosystem. These tiny creatures are responsible for pollinating a significant portion of the world’s crops, making them crucial to our food supply. But have you ever wondered about the life cycle of a honey bee? In this article, we will explore the

Bees are fascinating little creatures! They’re essential for making plants grow by moving pollen from one flower to another (pollination).  But what about the meaning of bees, and what do bees symbolise? These industrious little insects have made their mark on many cultures throughout history. Let’s take a closer look at the spiritual meaning of

Bee Boost Keyring is needed now more than ever. On Saturday, the 20th of March, we celebrated the 2021 spring equinox, which marks the first day of astronomical spring. It’s this time of year that bees need our help the most. Spring Blossom Watch – Give Bees a Boost The temperature is changing, the sun

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,

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

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 that sweet syrup we all know and love. The mention of solitary bees seems to throw off

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

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

While there isn’t one single answer to how long a bee lives, the western honeybee worker lives for between 35 – 180 days based on several factors including season and location. Bumblebee workers live for less time between 13 and 41 days. How Long Do Honey Bees Live For? Type Of Honeybee Life Cycle Queen

You can learn how to save a dehydrated bee in three easy steps by following our simple guide below. Assess if your Thirsty bee needs 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 of its natural life. Just

Here are 45 scientifically backed fascinating bee facts that might surprise you! Number 20 could mean life or death for our tiny little friends. Don’t forget to check our our other reads below packed with more fascinating looks at one of nature’s most incredible insects, the bee!

I’ve always thought about where bees go and how they survive over winter and I’m not talking about honey bees. This topic mostly refers to solitary British bees and how adverse weather conditions can have an unfavourable effect on the vulnerable bee population. With so many different species of bees and a changing climate, our

If a queen bee is killed, the worker bees try to raise a new queen by feeding select larvae royal jelly. The first emerging queen eliminates rivals and mates with drones to continue the colony. If a new queen cannot be raised, the colony will decline in population and die out. So as you can

Have you ever looked out across a field or a meadow of wildflowers buzzing with bees and thought, why exactly are bees even collecting pollen and what do they do with it? Let’s take a detailed look into how the bees in your garden collect pollen and what they do with it afterwards. So Why

Inside every hive is a complex system of life that is constantly reproducing and replacing itself. This process requires 3 types of bee in the hive that all have a part to play in ensuring the colonies survival. It is important to understand that in this article I will be talking about the European honey

It’s never been so important to create a bee-friendly garden, bees are responsible for pollinating approximately 75% of flowers and crops in the UK. The best thing about creating a bee-friendly garden is that you get to admire your good work. Bees of all kinds will buzz from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen

The classic honeycomb appearance of a beehive is an iconic image. From my very early years, I can remember the hexagonal patterns adorning my favourite storybooks. I always imagined beehives to be the equivalent of pubs for us, where bees go and guzzle honey together and reminisce after a hard day of collecting nectar and

Bee reproduction is a complex process with requires forward planning and teamwork on a grand scale. The process requires help from all the bees in the hive to ensure the species’ survival. This delicate dance of life is essential to crop pollination globally and is responsible for 75% of pollination in the United Kingdom. With

Have you ever wondered how the delicious honey you spread all over your toast is made? The short answer is that bees collect nectar from flowers, transform it with enzymes in their bodies, and then evaporate its water in the hive, turning it into honey. Click here if you’d prefer to watch the video Honey

A honey bee hive population will begin to swarm when it reaches breaking point. The reigning queen and anywhere from a third to a half of the current colony will leave to find a suitable location to build a new nest. The remaining residents will start producing a new queen that will quickly take her

Why do bees die if they sting you? A simple question with a not-so-simple answer.  To begin with, not all species of bees sting; it’s only honeybees, bumblebees and carpenter bees that use a venomous stinger when defending themselves. Let’s take a closer look at the common misconception that all bees die after stinging and the