A gentle hum fills the air. Its source? None other than the industrious bee. A creature put in this world to do much more than make delicious honey, bees fill our atmosphere with a unique and melodic sound. But each species of bee hails from a different corner of the buzzing universe, where color, size, even stripes can vary. Here we explore the many unique varieties of that beloved worker bee, to bring you a buzz about bees of every stripe.
1. Sweet and Striking: The Different Sorts of Bees
The humble yet clever bee is a marvel of evolution, having evolved to fulfill specific and important roles in many ecosystems. Beyond the familiar honey bee, there are many different types of bees, each with its own special role and anatomical adaptation. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the most fascinating.
Bumblebees
These fuzzy black and yellow bees are both recognizable and hilariously clumsy in flight. They are excellent and proficient pollinators and live in areas like meadows, fields, and forests. A truly remarkable feature of bumblebees is their nest construction. Different species of bumblebees build nests in various unique places, such as:
- Underground in deserted rodent burrows
- In unused porches and entrances
- In-ground nests, sometimes using discarded materials like straw
Solitary bees
Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, who live in large hives, solitary bees live alone. And contrary to their name, they are not necessarily “solitary” – the same nesting site may house several bees. Some of these solitary bees make small nests out of mud or leaves, while others are cleptonomic, which means they will steal the nests of other bees. They play an important role in pollinating cucumbers, alfalfa, blueberries, and many other crops.
Carpenter Bees
Known for their unique tunneling behavior, carpenter bees get their name from the tunnels they bore into wood in order to create their nests. They will often return to the same nest sites every year and can cause damage to wood structures if not managed carefully. However, they are important pollinators and play a crucial role in many ecosystems.
2. Variety is the Spice of Life: Bee Families Around the World
Bees are an immensely important part of the world’s biodiversity. While we’ve become acquainted with the domesticated honey bee — Apis mellifera — there are around 20,000 other species of bee that inhabit the planet. Varied in both size and shape, bees come in all sorts of attractive configurations.
While all bees share some common traits, their abilities vary greatly. For example, the carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa) drills perfectly round holes in wood for their nests — a feat that no other bee species is capable of. Similarly, the sweat bee (genus Lasioglossum) gathers sweat off the surface of human skin for nectar.
In addition to physical capabilities, all bees have different activities based on their environment and the seasons. Some migrate to different regions, others make their homes in already existing cavities, and some reside in specially created underground structures. Some feed on certain blossoms and others construct hives or tubes.
Bees can roughly be broken down into two main families: Megachilidae and Apidae. Within those families are myriad bee species that include:
- the leafcutter bee (Megachile centuncularis)
- the mason bee (Osmia spp.)
- the humpbacked bee (Nomada spp.)
- the carpenter bee (Xylocopa spp.)
- the bumble bee (Bombus spp.)
The variety of bees and their different habits offer an invaluable look into the intricate nature of the world’s biodiversity.
3. Understanding the Diversity of Bee Species
Did you know that there are over 20,000 species of bees? From blue orchard bees to the rare alpine bumblebee, the diversity of bee species is truly incredible. To understand these different bees, let’s look at some important distinctions:
- Habitat: Bees can make their home in a variety of places, such as gardens, meadows, woods, and even inside buildings.
- Size: Bee species can range from smaller than a grain of rice to larger than your fingertip.
- Color: Bees come in various colors, including black, white, yellow, metallic blue, and even red.
In addition to physical differences, understanding the lifestyles of different bee species can help you distinguish between them. For example, bumblebees are social and live in colonies while solitary bees live alone and do not form bonds with other bees.
The importance of bee diversity cannot be overstated. Without the diversity of species, our environment would suffer greatly. Without bees, vital pollination wouldn’t take place, plant cycles could be disrupted, and the food chain could be greatly altered. Happily, recent conservation efforts have helped many species of bee to recover. Hopefully, we can continue to preserve our amazing bee species and keep their numbers steady.
4. Garden Beauties: Winged Wonders of Pollination
When you wander through the garden, the majesty of nature is evident. Bright colors, sweet smells, and fluttering wings of busy pollinators make the garden a magical place. As you observe these winged wonders, you may be fascinated by the many types of pollinators buzzing, fluttering, and occasionally alighting to sip nectar from the flowers.
- Butterflies are among the loveliest of the garden’s pollinators. They visit flowers in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Butterflies rely on their curved proboscis to sample nectar from both open and tube-shaped flowers.
- Bees are crucial pollinators and many species inhabit the garden. Honeybees are among the most familiar of these hardworking insects, and they rely on flowers to provide nectar for nourishment and pollen to feed their young. Bees have furry bodies and sharp tongues that are adapted to reach nectar from flowers.
- Hummingbirds are the tiniest of the garden’s pollinators. They use their long straw-like beaks to reach nectar from deep within the flower. Occasional bird watchers may catch glimpses of these swift, colorful birds as they dip from flower to flower.
From monarchs to moths, garden pollinators are essential for the health of the landscape. Not only do these creatures help fertilize plants and flowers, but they also add beauty and wonder to the garden.
5. It’s All in the Details: Noting Distinctive Colours and Streaks
When shopping for paint, the smallest differences can often make the greatest impact. While some people prefer a single, solid color for their walls, others seek something a bit more unique. Noting the different colors and streaks featured in a particular paint can help you choose the perfect color for your particular space.
Colour
When looking at paint, pay close attention to the color. Is it a pleasant, warm shade or will it add a cold, drab tone to the space? Note how the color changes in different lights – will it look too bright in the morning and too dull in the afternoon? Make sure that you find a paint color you’ll love to look at for the next several years.
Streaks
If you’re looking for something more than a single solid color, take the time to examine streaks and accents in a paint. Many paints feature subtle marbles, blues, purples, and greens that give a room a pop of personality and color. If there are other colors featured in the space, find a paint that contains accents that will complement and draw attention to them.
- Make sure to take notes on the various colors of paint you look at.
- Observe how paint looks in different lighting.
- See if there are compliments in the room that can be drawn out with paint streaks.
At the end of the day, it’s all in the details. With a little bit of thought, you can create a space that’s soothing, and vibrant at the same time, full of nuances that allow its coloring scheme to evolve and change as the day progresses.
6. A Buzz About Bee Varieties: Diverse Habits, Different Tastes
Bee varieties are a real buzz with their diverse habits and tastes! For aspiring beekeepers full of enthusiasm, the various types available can be a bit overwhelming. Your options are plentiful and the flavors of your honey vary in the different bee varieties. So just take a deep breath, and let’s explain the differences.
Honey Bees
Honey bees are social bees that form colonies and the most popular bee in beekeeping. Apis mellifera, or the Western honey bee, lives in hives containing thousands to tens of thousands of bees. They’re great at producing honey, able to store a lot of it for winter. It’s not the only type of honeybee though. There are over 12 different subspecies of honey bees around the world.
Bumblebees
Bumblebees are from the genus Bombus and offer a lot of benefits to beekeepers. Their fuzzy bodies, cuddly looks, and gentle nature make them quite the friendly bee. They don’t live in hives, with many having individual nests, which helps when it comes to control and management.
Plus, bumblebees can be used to pollinate a variety of produce such as melons, berries, and tomatoes. Different species also have different colors for the worker bees as well!
Solitary Bees
Solitary bees are perfect for smaller spaces, or in an existing garden. They differ from socials in that they don’t live in colonies, but rather, individual bees have their own nest, which can consist of just a handful of bees. They don’t often make a lot of honey, but they are amazing pollinators. Some of these solitary bees include mason, leafcutter, digger, and carpenter bees.
All bee varieties present their own unique traits and offer a range of capabilities. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, the bees will help you develop your skills, increase your crop yield, and of course, produce some flavor-filled honey!
7. Peering Inside the Hive: The Mysterious Behaviour of Bees
Bees are an enigma. Despite our collective best efforts to understand them, these intelligent creatures remain shrouded in mystery. Their behavior is a source of fascination, from the structure of their hives to their ability to collect nectar from flowers.
The internal workings of a beehive are a lesson in organization and efficiency. Under the leadership of a queen, the workers work around the clock to maintain their home and keep their brethren fed. Honeycomb is crafted with the utmost precision. Even an untrained eye can appreciate the perfect hexagons formed in each honeycomb.
The honeybees’ movements are highly organized and deliberate. Each bee has a different job: producing wax, collecting nectar, attending to larvae, or guarding the hive. In order to detect the flowers that contain nectar, they use their sense of sight and powerful olfactory receptors that allow them to experience the world through smell.
- The bees’ flight paths are intricate geometric patterns that map the flower beds.
- Once a bee finds a flower, it returns to the hive to remember the location of the flower.
- The bees communicate the location of the flowers to the others in the hive, using structures called waggle dances and smells.
It may be impossible to understand exactly how bees think and communicate, but we can appreciate their fascinating behavior and admire their exceptional industry. As we peer into the hive, we learn a great deal more about the mysterious ways of the honeybees.
8. An Eye to the Sky: Human Interaction With Different Types of Bees
With thousands of species of bees buzzing around the world, it’s no wonder that humans have had many different interactions with them over the years. From providing honey and wax for food and fuel to helping to pollinate valuable crops, there are many ways humans interact with different types of bees.
Honeybees are the most common bee variety that humans come into contact with, and they are important for both honey production and for pollinating crops. Honeybees are also the most likely to have domesticated colonies, as people have been keeping hives for thousands of years in an effort to facilitate honey harvesting. Apiarists, or beekeepers, look after these domesticated colonies, ensuring their well-being and providing them with necessary tools to make it through the year.
Bumblebees are another type of bee that humans use for pollination, and they also produce a type of wax that can be used to make candles and other matter. They are notably more wild than honeybees, and as such require different methods for interacting with them. Rather than keeping colonies, bumblebees and their nests should be respected from a distance, as any disruption can disturb the entire colony.
Other types of bees are also integral for pollination:
- Solitary bees are often confused for flies, as they offer no honey or wax in return
- Carpenter bees drill tunnels in wood, where they lay eggs and build a nest
- Mason bees deposit pollen in mud cells and line their nests with them, using the mud to build tunnel-like structures for their eggs to inhabit
- Mining bees dig burrows in the ground and store pollen there for their young
Whichever type of bee it is, humans have the responsibility to respect and protect these creatures, as they are so important for pollination and food production. We can learn from them, and by doing so, support them for years to come.
That’s the buzz about bees of different stripe. Surely, no matter the color, shape or size, bees are crucial elements of our ecosystem that need to be protected. Without this creative and hardworking species, the world would be a far less colorful place.
