I started reading about bees for a painting I wanted to make. What I found was so interesting I had to share. Here you go!
- There are over 3,500 species of bees in the U.S. Of those, about 50 species are bumble bees and the honey bee is only one. That means there is a vast bee world beyond the bumble and honey. In a small wilderness area with healthy habitat, you could expect to find hundreds of bee species.
- Honey bees are not native to the U.S.; they’re considered an introduced species. We brought them here from Europe in the 1600s for their honey and wax making abilities. Their native range is Europe, Western Asia, and Africa.
- We usually think of bees as social creatures living in large colonies, but 75% of bee species in the U.S. are solitary. They live as individual bees and make their own nests, mostly underground. They often make nests close to each other, but they still live, lay eggs, and gather food as individuals.
- Yellow jackets are wasps, not bees. The primary difference is that wasps eat insects; bees don’t.
- Male bees do not sting. They may pretend they’re going to if provoked, but they can’t. The stinger is an egg laying structure, so only females have them.
Source: various podcasts and blog posts by the Xerces Society.
I Can