Naturally Maria: Buzz About Bees

Bees are flying insects that are closely related to wasps & ants. They range in size from 2mm, for the smallest bee species, to the largest at 39mm. They can be found all over the world except for Antarctica and are found in areas where there are insect-pollinated flowering plants. Bees are known and highly valued for their role in pollination, honey and beeswax production.

Sweat Bee

A very small bee

Many times, wasps and flies are mistaken for bees. So, how can you tell the difference between a bee and a wasp? What about a bee from a fly that mimics bees and wasps, such as hoverflies? Bees are pollen & nectar gatherers, they do not care about your food. Wasps, on the other hand, are attracted to food and will often come to check out what's for lunch! If a bee-like insect lands on your food, chances are it is a wasp. The majority of wasps feed on nectar and insects. Although there are pollinating wasps, they do not play a large role. Bees have fuzzy bodies whereas wasps tend to have smooth bodies with a very thin waste. Wasps and bees generally have four wings, two on each side whereas most flies only have two, one on each side of its body. Bees carry pollen, wasps and flies do not. And, flies have large, bulging eyes.

Paper Wasp

European Paper Wasp

Pollinator, flower fly, flower, toxomerus geminatus

Hoverfly (Toxomerus geminatus female)

A fly with similar colour markings to a wasp at a quick glance. But, notice the large eyes.

The Toxomerus geminatus is a very small species of hoverfly. This one is less than 1cm long. Hoverflies are important pollinators as well, I will cover this on an upcoming blog post.

Bee

Notice the full corbicula (pollen basket)

Some bee species, such as honey bees, bumblebees & sweat bees, form social colonies whereas others, like carpenter bees, leafcutter bees and mason bees, are solitary. Solitary bees do not produce honey or beeswax but are important pollinators. They gather pollen for their brood and mix it with nectar to form a paste. Solitary bees nest in the ground, hollow twigs or reeds or within holes in wood. Solitary bees are either stingless or very unlikely to sting except in self defense. In addition to the social colonies and solitary bees, there are communal bees. These females share the same nest but provide provisions for their own cells.

Sweat Bee

Notice the pollen covering it's legs and abdomen

Most bees are generalists, that is, they collect pollen & nectar from a wide range of flowering plants. But, there are some that are considered specialists, these bees collect pollen & nectar from one or a few flowering plants. If anything were to happen to either the bee or the flower, both would be affected as they are dependent on each other for their survival.

Bees are one of the most important pollinators as they are responsible for pollinating the majority of our flowering plants. Pollinators, such as bees, are responsible for providing us with approximately 1/3rd of our food source.

Although bees are very important pollinators, they are also necessary in other ways. For instance, in addition to honey, honey bees also produce beeswax, royal jelly & propolis. Beeswax is a natural wax produced by the bees to make their honeycombs. We use it in cosmetics, food production, pharmaceuticals, candle making, polishes and adhesives, just to name a few. Royal jelly is used by the bees to feed their larvae & queen bee. For humans, it has been used in alternative medicine and as a supplement.

Propolis is a form of bee glue that is used by the bees to seal unwanted (small) openings in their hives (large gaps are sealed with beeswax). It is a mixture that bees make using sap mixed with beeswax and their own secretions. Propolis has several uses for humans, especially for its medicinal properties. It's used in cough drops, to treat cold sores and genital herpes, to treat abscesses and wounds to fight off infection and help healing. Propolis is believed to have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Research has found that propolis contains polyphenols which have antioxidant properties. It has also been suggested that propolis has cancer fighting properties. Preventing cancer cells from developing and even slowing their growth and rate of multiplying. It has also been used for chewing gum, car wax and as a varnish for string instruments. Although products made from bee products are beneficial, a person allergic to bees can have serious allergic reactions.

Bees are in serious trouble; their numbers have declined in worrying numbers. Many factors are contributing to their demise (habitat loss, climate change, disease) but the biggest culprit of all are pesticides. Bees cannot survive without flowering plants. They are coming into direct contact with plants sprayed by pesticides causing them to be poisoned. Steps are being made to help bees and to bring their numbers back up, but everyone can play a role. Leaving a small section of our gardens wild, planting native flowering plants and not using pesticides are just a couple of steps that we can do to help save the bees.