We love to learn about Bees!

We have gathered some fun facts to help you learn about bees. We love learning about bees and sharing fun facts. If you have any cool facts you have learned we'd love to hear about them! Please share them.

Table of contents

🐝 1. Why do bees make hexagons...?

Bees create hexagons, or wait, Rhombic Dodecahedrons. But why do they create these shapes?

🐝 2. Bees Are Vital Pollinators

Bees are essential for pollinating over 150 commercial crops, contributing significantly to global agriculture. Their pollination efforts are estimated to add nearly $20 billion to the U.S. economy annually.

🍯 3. Honey Never Spoils

Archaeologists discovered pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that were over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible. Honey lasts forever because it's packed with sugar and barely any water, which makes it really hard for bacteria to survive. Plus, it's got a little bit of hydrogen peroxide in it, which helps keep it fresh naturally.

🧠 4. Bees Can Do Basic Math

Research indicates that honey bees can perform simple arithmetic, such as addition and subtraction, using color-coded cues. (Time Magazine Article)

🐝 5. Only Female Bees Sting

In most bee species, only females possess stingers, which are modified ovipositors.

🕺 6. Bees Communicate Through Dance

Honey bees use a “waggle dance” to convey information about the direction and distance of food sources to other members of the hive. (Wired Article)

🏓 7. Bumble bees like to ‘play’

Bumble bees enjoy playing with balls, suggesting insect minds are far more sophisticated than previously thought, researchers have found.

🧬 8. Royal Jelly Doesn’t Make a Queen

Contrary to popular belief, it’s the absence of certain plant chemicals, rather than the presence of royal jelly alone, that determines whether a bee larva becomes a queen. (Wired Article)

🐜 9. Bees Defend Their Hives with Wing Slaps

Japanese honey bees have been observed using their wings to slap and deter invading ants, showcasing a unique defensive behavior. (The Sun Article)

⚡ 10. Bees Use Electric Fields to Communicate

Bees can detect and respond to electric fields generated by other bees, adding another layer to their complex communication methods. (Wired Article)