When enjoying the simple indulgence of honey, it’s easy to forget that the activity going on inside a beehive can be so complex. Even a glance at the social structure is something to admire. Beehives house anywhere from 20,000 to 110,000 Honey bees, depending on the time of year, with a sole queen bee leading the charge. The next bees in line, the workers, keep the hive running—from caring for developing bees to building the hive to keeping the hive clean and cool. The drones, on the low end of the bee social ladder, exist for the sole duty of mating with the queen. It’s a succinct, precisely run society and one of many Honey bee marvels.
As shown in the infographic below, bees produce many wonders—from the amount of crops they pollinate per year (making them a friend to farmers everywhere) to the variety of products they create—but pests, pesticides and changing climates are threatening their populations. Take a look, and if you’re thirsty for more information on these helpful pollinators check out the articles below:
