Little Honey Bee

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These bees belong to the family Melittidae. If you’re wondering why a bee is named after a pair of trousers, take a look at the females. They have large orange pollen brushes on their hind legs, giving the impression that they’re wearing pantaloons! Most species have historically been cultured or at least exploited for honey and beeswax by humans indigenous to their native ranges. Only two species have been truly domesticated: Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. A. mellifera has been cultivated at least since the time of the building of the Egyptian pyramids, and only that species has been moved extensively beyond its native range. [15] Micrapis [ edit ] A. d. binghami, the Indonesian giant honey bee, is classified as the Indonesian subspecies of the giant honey bee or a distinct species; in the latter case, A. d. breviligula and/or other lineages would probably also have to be considered species. [17] Western honey bees are often described as essential to human food production, leading to claims that without their pollination humanity would starve or die out. [39] [40] Apples, blueberries and cherries, for example, are 90 percent dependent on honeybee pollination. [41] Albert Einstein is sometimes misquoted as saying "If bees disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live" . [42] Einstein did not say this and there is no science to support this prediction. [43] Eastern Apis species include three or fourspecies, including A. koschevnikovi, Apis nigrocincta, and A. cerana. The genetics of the western honey bee ( A. mellifera) are unclear.

The Megachilidae family comprises around 3,000 species of mostly solitary bees. The largest known bee (Megachile pluto, or Wallace’s Giant Bee) is part of this family, as are leafcutter bees, mason bees, and carder bees. There are seven distinct bee families seen across all of the species across the world. These are Apidae, Megachilidae, Andrenidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, Melittidae, and Stenotritidae. Are they pollinators: Mason bees are efficient pollinators for various flowering plants. They are known to pollinate early spring-blooming plants, including fruit trees such as apples, cherries, and almonds.Halictidae (Sweat Bees): Bees in the Halictidae family are known for their attraction to human sweat, as they often land on the skin to drink perspiration. They can be both solitary or social and are important pollinators for many crops and wildflowers. Honey bees also perform tremble dances, which recruit receiver bees to collect nectar from returning foragers. Mite treatment is accomplished by several methods, including treatment strips and acid vaporization. Common nesting locations: Striped green sweat bees are known to build their nests in the ground, often in areas with loose or sandy soil. They create small burrows in the soil where they construct cells for their eggs and larvae. Worker bees cooperate to find food and use a pattern of "dancing" (known as the bee dance or waggle dance) to communicate information regarding resources with each other; this dance varies from species to species, but all living species of Apis exhibit some form of the behavior. If the resources are very close to the hive, they may also exhibit a less specific dance commonly known as the "round dance".

These bees can thrive in a variety of habitats. They’re often seen in gardens and parks with short and well-managed vegetation. They feed on buttercups, dandelions, maple, willow, fruit trees, and hawthorn.Common nesting locations: Pantaloon bees typically build their nests in the ground, particularly in sandy or loamy soil. They create burrows in the soil, often in areas with plenty of sunlight and sparse vegetation, where they construct cells for their eggs and store food for their larvae.

Varroa mites are arguably the biggest threat to honey bees in the United States. These mites invade hives and reproduce by laying eggs on pupa. The hatching mites eat away at the pupa, causing deformities as well as spreading disease. If not detected and treated early on, the mite population may increase to such an extent that the hive will succumb to the diseases and deformities caused by the mites.They are small, agile, and fast-flying bees, making them extremely productive pollinators. A type of mason bee, the blue orchard bee, is so called for its amazing pollination skills in orchards. Research has shown that about 400 female blue orchard bees are as effective as 10,000 honeybees when pollinating almonds!

Do they sting: Miner bees are capable of stinging, but they are generally not aggressive and are not known to sting unless directly handled or threatened. Defensive behavior might be exhibited if their nest is disturbed or if they perceive a threat to their offspring. They are medium to large bees and are easily recognized by their abdominal regions, which are blood-red in color. Colloquially, they’re known as “blood bees.” A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus Apis of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. [1] [2] After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmopolitan distribution of honey bees, introducing multiple subspecies into South America (early 16th century), North America (early 17th century), and Australia (early 19th century). [1] Common nesting locations: Carder bees are known for building nests from plant fibers, such as small pieces of leaves or petals, which they card or comb with their specialized mouthparts. They commonly nest in pre-existing cavities, such as hollow plant stems or man-made bee hotels. No Apis species existed in the New World during human times before the introduction of A. mellifera by Europeans. Only one fossil species is documented from the New World, Apis nearctica, known from a single 14million-year-old specimen from Nevada. [10]Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee, is native and widespread across most of South and Southeast Asia. Orchid bees are a fascinating tribe of bees with metallic green bodies that look like armored vehicles. There are about 200 species of these large, solitary bees. It’s easy to distinguish orchid bees from other bee species. They are generally hairless and have shiny metallic coloration. Are they pollinators: Carpenter bees act as pollinators for various flowering plants. They are known to pollinate a wide array of plants, including but not limited to passionflowers, salvias, and even some fruit trees.