Bees
Bees Scientific Name: Apis mellifera
All About Bees
If you have ever eaten outdoors or are a keen gardener of flowering plants, chances are you have been confronted by a buzzing bee. Always searching for sweet-smelling summer treats, such as nectar and pollen from flowers, bees are usually quite harmless and are curious creatures. They use their sweet findings of pollen and nectar to produce honey and beeswax. Both are useful items that are used by humans for a variety of things. Research has shown that by consuming the honey obtained from a regional environment, human allergies caused by local plants can be alleviated in summer months.
It is the bees’ role in pollination that establishes its great value. While many other insects and animals also feed on pollen and nectar, none share the same expansive population. Bees are particularly adept and have a long tongue. They also have an antennae which is known to have 12 or 13 segments, depending on the gender. This creature is double-winged, with the smaller set of wings located near its hind quarters.
The Flight of the Bumblebee was written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and is an orchestral interpretation of the recognizable buzz that accompanies this nectar-seeking insect. The song was composed in 1899, but with its universal portrayal of this creature, it is still widely known today and has been used in several films and commercials.
Bee Habitats
Bees are commonly found in Europe and America, but certain species extend as far as China and Africa. These creatures can be attracted to yards and landscaping by flowering trees or shrubs. Bees prefer habitats in woodlands, gardens, orchids and meadows. They can, however, thrive in urban areas. Hives are often built inside of tree cavities to reduce their view from predators. These dwellings are not reused from season to season, so once a colony leaves its nest, it does not return.
While it is common knowledge that these insects make honey, its less commonly known that bees also eat the honey that they produce. In cooler temperatures, they will eat honey as a source of energy. In summer, colonies have been known to use the sticky liquid as a coolant.
Life Cycle of Bees
Within their lifespan, bees generally follow year-long cycles. These cycles consist of establishing a hive, reproducing, storing nectar, honey creation and finally relocating. These groups are known as annual colonies.
Queen bees leave their colony in summertime to mate. They then search for wintering sites, such as the undersides of loose bark, rotted logs, under siding or tile or other small spaces. Once this spot is established, the queen will become dormant, while the remaining bees in her colony die in the colder temperatures. Bearing the responsibility for re-establishing the colony in the spring, the queen becomes active once more in the spring when temperatures rise. It is in the spring that she searches for favorable nesting sites to construct the colony’s new hive.
Bees and Humans
In Indonesia, bee larvae are eaten as a meat substitute that is commonly mixed with rice and coconut. Bees are also prominent figures in mythology and have been used by modern philosophers as a model for human society – their intricate structures, determined roles and community all lend themselves well to analysis.
Some are frightened of these winged critters, usually for fear of being stung. However, void of the threat of immediate danger, bees are unlikely to harm humans. Most stings are harmless, though painful. The stings can occasionally cause severe symptoms, but as a result of an allergic reaction, not the sting itself.
Although bee stings can pack a punch, these insects are usually thought of as beneficial insects; not pests. Bees maintain a valuable role in farm and wild vegetation production through the act of pollination. Bees also produce honey which is an important consumer item in most grocery stores in the world.
Bee Control – Pest Control for Bees
Bees are a very beneficial insects. In fact some suggest including Albert Einstein that if bees became extincted it would be a short time before the effects would trickle down and eventually humans would suffer the same fate.
There are some instances where bee control is necessary. Killer bees have migrated to the united states and deaths are trickling in. Some people have allergic reactions to bee stings and can be fatal, especially cases involving children.Some bees can causes as much damage as termites to your home. Bees can build nests inside your home can be very costly and dangerous, not only your family but your home. Please read our bee control page and learn bee exclusion and bee termination techniques.
Bee Entomology
Bees Scientific Name: Apis mellifera
Bees belong to the Animalia kingdom and are Arthopoda. They are classified as Insecta and belong to the order of the Hymenoperta. Bees have a monophyletic lineage and currently are unmarked as an Anthrophila. There are currently 20,000 known species, though many are currently not ranked or classified, and this number is probably much higher. Bees reside on every continent but Antarctica.