Bees

All 9 species of bees on WAnimals

Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 114 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…?

• It feeds on nectar and pollen from a wide range of tropical flowers.

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• The whole colony moves on when conditions change, rather than leaving daughter queens behind.

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• When a predator approaches, the workers mount a coordinated defence known as shimmering, a synchronised wave that ripples across the whole comb.

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• Its nests give themselves away by a small mound of fine soil with a central hole in the middle of the lawn, like a miniature volcano.

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• Although dozens of females may nest in the same garden, each works on her own: it is not a social species.

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• It is all but incapable of stinging and is harmless, despite the alarm its furry appearance and sudden spring abundance tend to cause.

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• It bores its own nesting tunnels in dead wood without eating it.

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• It has been recorded visiting as many as 800 plant species, favouring legumes and mints.

Ecosystems