Host Plants:
Where Found:
Originally from Europe, now distributed worldwide in temperate climates
Description:
Honeybees live in colonies of up to 50,000 individuals that work together within a nest to maintain a queen, her brood and the larvae. Small bees about 1.5cm long with triangular heads and alternating yellowish and dark brown bands on their bodies are usually honeybees. When honeybees find a good source of flower nectar, they tend to feed in large numbers during times of day when the nectar is most abundant. At the tip of the abdomen is a barbed stinger which is used to sting creatures that threaten an individual or the colony. However, honeybees rarely sting unless they are accidentally squashed or their nest is threatened.
Beneficial Because:
Honeybees are essential for the pollination of many plants (including crop plants), shrubs and trees. Honeybees pollinate an estimated 30% of the food we eat, and managed honeybee hives also produce honey, wax and pollen for human use.
Food and Habitat:
Honeybees conserve their energy during the cold winter months, and begin to seek nectar sources early in spring. When spring flowers and fruit trees bloom, honeybees can gather enough flower nectar and pollen to make honey and increase their numbers. Honeybees that are not housed in hives often makes homes for themselves in hollow trees or rock crevices. They will make their nests close to sources of pollen and nectar such as wildflower meadows, flowering crops, shrubs and fruit trees.
Attracting More:
Grow a succession of flowering plants that produce plenty of pollen and nectar. Blooming trees are also a big boon to honeybees. Avoid growing double-flowered varieties of ornamental plants as these limit the bees ability to collect pollen and nectar.
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