Happy World Bee Day - 5 Fast Facts About Honeybees
Bees are some of the most important creatures in the animal kingdom. They are pollinators, who ensure food security and contribute significantly to the mitigation of climate change and the conservation of the environment. Pollinators such as bees, birds and bats, affect 35 percent of the world's crop production, increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide.
World Bee Day helps to raise awareness on the pivotal role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. The day has been celebrate since 2018, when UN General Assembly declared the 20th of May as World Bee Day.
In Ireland, are 98 different species of bee. The are 20 bumblebee species & 77 solitary bee species, as well as this we have our very own Native Irish Honeybee.
The native Irish honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) was originally widespread throughout the whole of northern Europe but sadly is no longer prevalent there now, due to hybridisation. It has been hybridised due to imports of other sub-species and consequent cross-breeding, as well as being severely impacted by imported pests and diseases. However, Scientific research and DNA analysis have confirmed the Irish Apis mellifera mellifera strain to be both pure and distinct.
Here are 5 Facts about the Honey Bee to celebrate World Bee Day:
Photo courtesy of NIHBS, Irish honeybee
Honey Bees are smart
A Honey Bee’s brain is made up of almost one million neurons. That might sound meager compared to the estimated 86 billion neurons found in our own heads, but for an insect, it’s a lot. They have impressive navigational skills that they combine with their powerful sense of smell to locate distant food sources.
A Single Worker Bee produces about .083 of a teaspoon of Honey
From Spring to Autumn, Honey Bees have to produce huge amounts of Honey to feed and sustain the whole colony throughout the winter months. However, each worker bee only produces around 1/12th of a teaspoon. Luckily, the can be anywhere between 20,000 to 60,000 Honey Bees in one hive, so there is strength in numbers.
Male Honey Bees make the Ultimate Sacrifice
Drones (Male Honey Bees) only have one purpose, which to provide sperm for the queen. About a week after emerging from their cells, drones are ready to mate. After they've mated with the queen, they die.
A Queen Honeybee lays up to 2000 Eggs per day
After 48 hours of mating with Drones, a Queen Honey Bee begins it’s life long role of producing eggs. Queen Honeybees are incredibly prolific with their egg production. They can produce their own body weight in eggs, and can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. They usually average 1,500 eggs per day, and throughout a lifetime, a Queen Honey Bee could lay up to one million eggs.
Honey Bees use their antennae to smell
Honeybees have two large eyes and three smaller eyes, known as ocelli, which they use in combination to see the world around them. However, it is their antennae which provides Honey Bees a more rounded understanding of what is all around them. Their antennae can be used for all of their senses; touch, smell, taste and even hearing. Their sense of smell is particularly impressive, with Honey Bees being able to smell almost 100 times better than humans.
Their sense of smell is so strong, they can be trained to smell explosvies.
We have recently become the first private enterprise to undertake the role of a Voluntary Conservation Area for the Native Irish Honey Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), with the installation of our first beehives at Cloudforest One in Lahinch, Co. Clare. This was all done in partnership with the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS). The NIHBS was established in November 2012 by a group of beekeepers who wished to support the native Irish honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) throughout the country. Its main aim is to promote the conservation, study, improvement, and re-introduction of Apis mellifera mellifera
If you want to stay up to date with how our Bees are getting on throughout the summer, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, follow our socials & keep an eye on our new Conservation page(see below):
