Bees:

- There are over 20,000 species of bees in the world, broken into nine families
- Bees can survive in any habitat (except polar regions or high altitudes) on the planet
that has flowering dicotyledons – a group of flowering plants whose seed typically
contains two embryonic leaves or cotyledons (part of the embryo within the seed of
a plant).
- Bees are divided into three groups – Solitary, Social and Parasitic.
- There are around 400 species of Social Bees, which are divided into two groups –
bumblebees and honeybees
- Bees are adapted for feeding on nectar and pollen - nectar is used as an energy
source and pollen is used primarily for protein and other nutrients.
- Most pollen is used as food for larvae.

Bee characteristics:
- Bees have a long proboscis (an elongated tube from the head of an insect) that they
use to collect nectar from flowers.
- Bees have antennae, which can be broken into thirteen segments in males and
twelve in females.
- All bees have two sets of wings. The back pair are smaller and the front pair are
larger. Some species’ wings are too short, making them unable to fly
- The smallest bee is a dwarf bee (Trigona minima) and is about 2.1mm long.
- The largest bee in the world is Megachile pluto (an Indonesian leafcutter bee that
uses resin to make compartments in its nest), which can grow up to 39mm long.
- The most common species of bee is the Western honey bee, which produces honey,
as do a few other types of bee.
- Human management of this species is known as beekeeping or apiculture (the
practice of intentional maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives).

Bee pollination:
- Bees pollinate flowering plants, gathering nectar or pollen, depending on their
greater need at the time.
- Bees gathering pollen are more efficient pollinators than bees gathering nectar.
- Bees pack the pollen they collect into the scopa (pollen carrying apparatus), which is
located most commonly on the legs or occasionally on the ventral abdomen.
- Pollen and nectar are can be combined together to form a ‘provision mass’, which is
stored in a cell, with the egg deposited on the mass. The cell is typically sealed after
the egg is laid and the adult and larva never interact directly (a system called ‘mass
provisioning’).
- bees are purpose built to be pollinating insects, with behavioural and physical
adaptations that specifically enhance pollination

Bee predators:
- Bee-Eaters, a type of bird, are mainly found in Africa and can be recognised by their
bright coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers.
- Kingbirds
 - Mockingbirds
- Dragonflies
- Insecticides used on blooming plants – can be by direct poisoning or contamination
of their food supply.
- It is more common for a bee to die of old age than by a predator

Why do we need bees?

- Bees are vital for stable, healthy food supplies.
- They are adapted to pollinate, helping plants grow, breed and produce food. This is
done by the transfer of pollen between flowering plants, keeping the life cycle
‘turning’
- Bee population rates are declining globally. This is due to loss of habitat and food
sources, exposure to pesticides and the effects of climate change.
- Bees pollinate plants that grow foods such as apples, pears, coffee beans, vanilla
beans, and even resources such as cotton
- Whilst there are other animals that pollinate, bees are the most effective of the lot,
since they visit more flowers and carry more pollen between them to stock their
nests, whereas other pollinating animals only visit flowers enough to feed
themselves.
- Some bees are better at pollinating plants than others. For example, the red manson
bee is 120 times more efficient at pollinating apple blossoms than honeybees
- Evidence shows that pollination by the right type of bee improves the quality of the
crop, from its nutritional value to its shelf life.
- Humans would be able to survive without bees, however our diets would be very
dull and less nutritious
- It would not solely affect our plant-based foods. Some animals consume plant-based
diets, meaning that even they partly depend of bee pollination
- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) state that bees are one
of the most sustainable ways to boost food security and support sustainable farming.
- Bees are the key to our beautiful landscapes – without them, many plants would be
unable to grow
- When some plants are unable to grow, not only are they taking away a source of
food and nutrition, but also a habitat for many animals

Resources:
Animal Corner. (2019). Bees. Retrieved from https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/bees/

Friends of the Earth. (2017). Why do we need bees? Retrieved from

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/why-do-we-need-bees