Unlike what many humans could think, bees are the most important living creatures on the planet and not us. According to the Royal Geographical Society of London, these creatures are the only ones on the planet that don’t carry any pathogens besides the fact that they are free of bacteria and fungi. However, though incredible, these are not the main reasons why they were crowned the MVPs of the planet, the main one is that thanks to them we have food on our tables!
These adorable bicolor creatures are responsible for pollinating crops that are enriched with food varieties from all over the world. To honor their enormous task, here are some curious and surprising facts you probably didn’t know about bees.
1. There are more than 20,000 species of bees in the world!
2. The only continent where bees cannot be found is Africa.
3. They spend hours memorizing the location of the sweetest flowers and then return to them. In this way, they ensure their food and that of their mates.
4. When they find food sources, they alert other bees with a very peculiar flying dance.
5. Bees carry the responsibility of pollinating more than 75% of the world’s fruit and seed crops!
6. They are not the only pollinating insects; this enormous task is also carried out by butterflies, birds, moths, beetles and even mammals such as bats.
7. They are blind to the color red, instead, they are able to pick up colors that we humans do not even imagine exist. These little superheroes are able to see the electromagnetic spectrum known as ultraviolet.
8. There is actual communication between flowers and bees. When flowers hear the buzzing of bees, they sweeten their nectar to attract them and use it as an evolutionary advantage. In this way, the flowers ensure their reproduction while providing food for the bees.
9. They create hexagonal cells to optimize the distribution and use of space in their panels, taking into account the anatomy of their bodies and their larvae.
10. They are social animals; each one of them has an important role to play within their community.
11. Unlike what we might think, not all bees produce honey. In fact, only seven of the 20,000 species are honey bees.
12. The work of honeybees is very arduous; in a single day they usually visit up to 7,000 flowers and one kilo of their valuable honey is equivalent to about 4 million visits!
13. The biggest bee in the world is the Wallace’s bee (Megachile pluto). It reaches a wingspan of 6.4 centimeters and its body is as big as a human thumb.
Now that you know why bees received that well deserved honor, let’s do our best to protect these exquisite and vibrant beings that maintain the planetary balance and are, unfortunately, in danger of extinction. If they disappear, life on earth will be threatened and will disappear as we know it. Fortunately, we still have time to take care of them and guarantee their permanence on Earth.
Text courtesy of Ecoosfera
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