Bees are some of the most important creatures in the plant and animal kingdom. However, they tend to get a bad reputation from us for various reasons—some forms of mass media portray them as vindictive bugs that love to sting, driving up the fear factor. Some people also only associate bees with honeybees when there are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide!
Sadly, these misconceptions have led to a decrease in the bee population over the years. It’s important to get rid of these misconceptions and understand the bees’ important role in the ecosystem.
Here is a list of common misconceptions about bees!
All Bees Sting
In a hive, not all bees can sting. Stingers are modified egg-laying devices, so really, only the females can sting. Additionally, despite their ability to sting, these female bees are hesitant to do so—they only do it when they feel they’re being threatened.
There are also a couple of species of bees that physically cannot sting. They are aptly called stingless bees and instead chomp on their enemies when they’re being threatened.
Speaking as an expert on bee and wasp removal, you’re more likely to get stung by a wasp than a bee.
All Bees Only Sting Once
Honeybees can repeatedly sting other insects easily, but stinging humans is a different story entirely. That’s because human skin is a lot thicker and denser, making it difficult for the stingers to pierce through. When bees sting humans, their stings get lodged into the skin and ripped off. This is fatal to the bee, and the bee will die soon afterward.
Other species of bees can sting more than once, but you have to remember again that they only ever sting when they’re in defensive mode. If you’re getting stung repeatedly by bees, you’re probably not heeding their warning and leaving their territory.
All Bees Work Very Hard
You’ve probably heard about the ‘busy bee’, a hard and skilled worker with barely any time for rest. People assume all bees maintain the hive, fly around in search of pollen, and make honey all day. And while that certainly is true for most of the female worker bees, the same can’t be said for the males and the queen bee!
The male bees’ (drones) only duty in the hive is to impregnate the queen bee. Once there are enough eggs in the colony, male bees are essentially useless because they don’t do anything else. In fact, females tend to kick the males out of the hive during the winter season as they’re extra mouths to feed with limited resources. Harsh, huh?
Meanwhile, queen bees only have to lay eggs in the hive. Most of the time, they’re being fed and taken care of by the worker bees, so they don’t even have to move around as often. Queen bees live a relatively pampered life.
All Bees Live in Hives
Surprisingly, not all bees are social and live in a hive. Most of them are solitary and live alone in nooks and crannies with no queen bees to care for. Despite this, they play a very important role in the pollination of flowering plants and other fruits and vegetable plants.
Additionally, because they don’t have a hive or food storage to take care of, they’re less aggressive. They will only sting if they are physically in danger, like being stepped on or being swatted at. So, the next time you see a solitary bee, spend some time watching them from a distance. It could use a friend!
All Bees Produce Honey
All honey comes from bees, but not all bees produce them—less than 5% of the total bee population makes honey. Honey usually comes from honeybees, though it can also be produced by stingless bees and bumblebees too. This amount, however, is not nearly enough for human consumption. For example, you’ll probably only get a maximum of one to two teaspoons of honey in a season from bumblebees.
Bees Don’t Sting at Night
Bees are a lot like humans—they like to head home for the evening after a long, busy day being a bee and cozy up in their hives. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t sting you! They can just be as aggressive during the night in protecting their resources from danger, so don’t listen to anybody that tells you transporting bees at night is the way to go.
Bees Avoid Your House If There are No Flowers Nearby
Bees don’t necessarily have to live near flowering plants. That’s because they can fly anywhere within a three-mile radius in search of flowers. If your house has a comfortable spot for them to nestle in and create a hive, there’s not much you can do to stop it besides hiring a bee removal in Orange County.
If You Seal Bees In, You Kill Them
Make no mistake, bees can be pretty cunning! If they’ve taken residence in your home and you seal the entrance, they’ll do everything they can to get out, even if it means chewing through solid wood and drywall! Not only will have you a swarm of angry bees on the loose, but you’ll also have annoying home repairs to deal with.
Again, it’s a much better idea to leave bee removal to the experts. Why not plug “bee removal near me” on Google?
Bees and Wasps are the Same
Bees, wasps—they both fly, and they both sting. They’re technically the same, aren’t they?
Wrong. There are a couple of ways you can differentiate a bee from a wasp.
First off, wasps are much brighter in color. Whereas bees tend to be more orange in color, wasps are a bright yellow that can easily be discerned.
Secondly, bees are fluffier and have a rounder shape. This allows them to collect more pollen on their fluff and buzz happily from flower to flower. Wasps, on the other hand, evolved for aerodynamics—they are carnivorous creatures that capture other insects with their innate build for speed.
Lastly, wasps have a smoother stinger, allowing them to sting us more than once, unlike the honeybee. Ouch.
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