Other interesting facts about bees

Bees never cease to surprise us with wonderful anecdotes. Among the many that exist here we continue to collect more curious facts about honey bees and their honey. As we can see, a lot is known about bees and despite this, they are still being researched, as there is still more to know. Therefore, knowing more about them is a delight, especially for those of us who love these social insects. So, let’s get down to work and find out more about these adorable insects – they won’t leave you indifferent and you will love them even more, if that’s possible!

Summary: Bees are fascinating living creatures. Here we continue to compile other fun facts about bees and their honey that you will love. Facts that will make you love bees even more, as they are adorable insects that contribute so much to the entire planet. You also have at your disposal a fantastic selection of monofloral and multifloral honeys from Spain. In addition, you can get a great advice on the thousands that we sell.

Other studies: Raw unpasteurised honey: Where to buy quality raw honey?

1. Curiosities about bees

First of all, we have the curiosities of bees in general. We add this collection of curiosities to the others we have written in other articles. Therefore, we can see that a lot is known about bees, and that a lot of curiosities can be found about them.

a) The great majority of bees do not produce honey.

The vast majority of bees are solitary bees, around 20,000 species. All of them do not create colonies and therefore do not produce honey. However, they do feed on nectar or pollen from flowers.

Photo 1: Small hives for bees in Durham, North Carolina, USA

b) The meaning of honey bee

The meaning of honey bee is honey-bearing bee. Also, bees are the only living thing from which we get food without the insect suffering. Therefore, a gift of nature.

c) Bees are true insects

Bees are true insects. Their body consists of three parts; head, thorax and abdomen, just like all other insects.

d) Bees can fly, but their ability to fly was not understood until recently.

Scientists have not understood how bees were able to fly until recently. They have a body that is too large in relation to the size of bees.

e) The task of pollination is more important than that of honey production.

The work that bees do in the pollination of wild and cultivated flowers is much greater than the production of honey. Crops and fields would be totally different without them.

f) Most people are not allergic to bee stings.

Many people think they are allergic to bee stings. However, a little swelling or pain is normal in a bee sting.

g) Africanised bees were developed for a purpose.

Africanised bees are bees that were brought from Africa in order to get more productive bees in South America. However, some of them escaped and adapted very well to the American climate, and they are still there. However, they are very aggressive bees.

Photo 2: Pollinator park in Washington, USA.

2. Curious facts about the hive

Now it’s time for a compilation of other curious facts about the hive. Facts that we have not told you in other articles.

a) Metamorphosis inside the hive cells

The larvae undergo their entire metamorphosis inside the cell. From being an egg to being a complete bee they go through it inside the cell. Therefore, they do not emerge until they are a complete bee.

b) Unique survival strategy

Bees are one of the few organisms that store food in good times and then consume it when it is not available in the wild.

c) High turnover of bees

Surprisingly, many of the bees in the hive do not live more than a few days. Therefore, we can find high mortality rates in a hive despite the fact that it is a healthy hive.

Photo 3: Night exhibition in Torrejón de Ardoz in Madrid.

3. Curiosities about worker bees and queen bees

In addition, we are going to leave more curiosities but in this case only about worker bees and queens.

a) Worker bees, the mainstay of the hive

Worker bees are the bees that carry out most of the work in the hive. From caring for the larvae to foraging for food. This is the origin of many common sayings in all languages.

b) Bees have no nose

Bees do not have noses. However, they do have the ability to detect odours, which they do with their antennae.

c) The size of a bee’s brain is the size of a grain of sugar.

Bees have a brain the size of a grain of sugar. However, like all animals they act on instinct. They do not have the ability to think that humans have.

d) The bee normally defecates outside the hive.

In order to keep the hive as clean and free of parasites as possible, bees normally defecate outside the hive. This prevents the transmission of diseases within the hive.

e) A single bee can produce 1/12th of a spoon of honey.

The amount of honey that a single bee can produce in its lifetime is one twelfth of a spoon. For this reason, a hive needs so many bees to produce honey.

f) Queen bees can sting humans but this is very rare.

Queen bees have a sting but it is very rare for them to sting a person. The worker bees are in charge of defending the hive.

4. Historical facts

Finally we will leave some other curious facts about beekeeping in history:

a) Currency in ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, honey was used as a currency for the payment of taxes. This can be seen in many paintings in the pyramids of Egypt.

b) In ancient times the beehive was destroyed when collecting honey

In the early days of beekeeping, the hive was destroyed in order to extract the honey. It was later, with the construction of hives, that only the honey combs were removed and the rest were left untouched.

c) The type of hives used has not always been the same.

In the past, hives were made of cork. However, these have changed and are now made of wood but they are not all the same size. The most used nowadays is the Langstroth, which we have been using for almost two centuries.

So, many more curiosities that we will be adding as they come to us. Also, we can see how exciting the world of beekeeping is.

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