Anthophila

Bees are flying insects best known for their role in pollination. Bee pollination is important both ecologically and commercially. Bees are closely related to wasps and ants. There are over 20,000 species of bees and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. The western honey bee is the most well known of the bee species for producing honey and beeswax. The decline in wild bees has increased the value of pollination by commercially managed honey bee hives.

Identification – What do bees look like?

Bees are most commonly black or brown with bands of some shade of yellow or amber. Some are almost entirely dark brown or black. All bees have three body segments, a head, thorax, and abdomen. Bees have 5 eyes, 2 large eyes located to the side of the face and 3 very small eyes on top of the head. They have long slender antennae. Bees have 4 single wings, 2 on each side of the body. Almost all bees have hairy bodies. Only female bees have stingers, and only the stingers of honeybees are barbed. Bees range in size from tiny .08 inches long to 1 1/2 inches long.

Habitat and Habits of bees

Bees can be either social or solitary. Honey bees are social bees.

Social bees, like honey bees, form large, complex colonies. Honey bees can live in any natural habitat where flowers are found, such as orchards, meadows, and gardens. Wild worker honey bees make their hives in rock crevices or hollow trees. Glands in a worker bees abdomen convert sugar from honey into wax. Tiny flakes of this wax is deposited on their abdomens. Workers then collect and chew the wax until it becomes soft, then bond large quantities of the wax into the cells of a honeycomb. They can survive the cold by huddling together and even shivering to keep the nest warm. Queen honey bees live 2 to 3 years. Worker bees live only about 6 weeks.

Solitary bees prefer to make their nest in dry, dark cavities. Some will nest underground and some will nest under sheds or in trees. Solitary bees live alone but often nest close to one another. They do not produce honey and they do not have a queen. Solitary bees are not aggressive and therefore safe around pets and children. Females live about a year, males die soon after mating.

Diet – What do bees eat?

All bees are vegetarians. The only nutrition bees receive is from nectar and pollen that they collect from flowers.

Bee Control – How to get rid of bees?

Bees are important to the ecosystem because they provide pollen to plants, which plants need to grow. However, when a group of bees decides to build a hive near your home, they can become a danger to people, especially if the hive is disturbed. Rocky Mountain Bird and Pest control specialists are experts in bee control solutions that are safe for your family and safe for the environment.