Some Fun Facts About Honey Bees

We have been inundating you guys with news lately, so let’s have a little fun today and talk about our honey bees in a different way… with some fun facts you may not know (or don’t realize you know).

Did you know…

A fossil was found earlier this year of a female bee that dates more than 100 million years old! The female bee was reportedly covered in beetle parasites. When the fossil was discovered, researchers believe the bee may have flown into tree resin, where it got stuck and was preserved in amber until it was discovered. The beetle parasites are believed to have caused the bee to be disoriented, leading to its flight into the resin, only to be found 100 million years later!

Did you know…

Bees apparently have smelly feet. When bees pollinate flowers, they leave behind “smelly” footprints. This, however, is a mechanism used by bees to show that the flower has already been pollinated. When other bees visit that area, they know not to even bother with a flower that “stinks” because the nectar is already gone.

Did you know…

There are a total of 23 of the known 45 North American bumblebee species located in Minnesota.

Did you know…

There is one species of bumblebee in the United States that is already on the endangered species list. The Bombus Affinis, also known as the rusty patched bumblebee, was given protection under the Endangered Species Act by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 2017. This species of bumblebee has decreased in population by almost 90 percent over the last two decades.

Did you know…

The most common form of honey bee here in the United States is not actually native to our country. The Apis Mellifera, more commonly known as the European honey bee, is by far the most common honey bee you will find in the United States. The bees were brought here in 1622 but it would take more than two centuries before those same honey bees (the species, not the actual bees!) were found on the west coast.

Did you know…

Honey bees have five eyes and can fly at about 20 miles per hour.

Did you know…

Queen bees can lay as many as 2,000 eggs in a single day.

Did you know…

Within the hive, all male bees are called drones and all female bees (other than the queen) are called worker bees.

Photo By DennisJacobsen (Envato Elements)