Bees
Why are they beneficial?
Bees play an important role in pollination1 and they are the only insect to produce food for humans!2 Besides pollinating, this insect provides us with honey and beeswax, which is used in making candles, polishes, inks and cosmetics.
Bee Biology
Bees have 4 wings and 6 legs, but their characteristics differ amongst the different types of bees. Bees inject venom through the stinger, the bee dies when it’s stinger is used, due to the barbs of the stinger holding fast in the victim’s skin.3
Bee colonies have a highly organized social structure consisting of 3 types of members: queen, drones and workers.4 The queen has the highest authority, and is the only one that lays the eggs in the colony.
There are approximately 20,000 different species of bees.5 Types found in Canada: Honey, Bumble, Orchid, Halistid, Leafcutting and Carpenter Bee6
Where to Find Bees?
Bees are dormant in the winter and are most active in spring through out mid-fall. In the wild they live in tree hollows or other or other cavities.7 A single hive can contain approximately 40-45,000 bees.8 Bees are commonly bred for honey production or for flower pollination. You can find them in your yard and garden flying around flowers and plants.
Bee Facts
Bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years; the honey is used as a food source in the winter instead of flowers.9 Honeybees visit about two million flowers to make one pound of honey.10
1 http://www.urbangreenery.com/organic0501.php
2 http://www.indianchild.com/bees.htm
3 http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/bee/bee.htm
4 http://www.indianchild.com/honey_bee.htm
5 http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/bee/bee.htm
6 http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/species/insects/hemipterahymenoptera.htm
7 http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/bee/bee.htm
8 http://www.indianchild.com/bees.htm
9 http://www.honey.com/kids/facts.html
10 http://www.indianchild.com/bees.htm