Did you know that bees visit up to 3000 flowers a day? And all we remember about them is that they sting!
Bees are the super pollinators of the world. They actually support 87% of the food crops globally. Alongside other pollinators like butterflies, beetles, flies, wasps, and ants, bees are crucial to the ecosystem, and specifically, food production.
That is why as pest management professionals, ORIGIN believes in spreading the knowledge of identifying when creatures become pests --- usually when they get into our homes and work spaces. Most importantly, we want to know which insects are not even pests, to begin with...that’s right, bees!
Let us share with you some little-known fun facts about bees so you understand these busy little creatures better.
Facts about Honey Bees:
FACT #1 Not all bees make honey!
There are 20,000 bee species in the world, and only 7 of them make honey. And 3 of these are actually the common species found in Singapore: Giant Honey Bee, Asian Honey Bee, and the Asian Dwarf Honey Bee. They usually nest in the lush greenery that our island nation is filled with, but they have been known to find homes near us too!
FACT #2 There is not always a nest.
Whenever we spot a swarm of bees, we tend to think that they are surrounding their nest and hit the panic button. The truth is, the bees could be taking a rest from a day of foraging, or still be in the process of building their home. This also means that they are not really interested in stinging. Actually, 90% of the bees are solitary creatures who prefer residing in their nests.
FACT #3 Not all bees sting!
We are afraid of bees because of their stings. But there is actually a large group of bees called the “Stingless Bees”, or meliponines. A total of 550 species of them to be exact. Although they belong to the same family as the honey bees and bumblebees, these bees have a very small stinger that is ineffective for stinging. Even for the species that sting, only the female bees within them sting, and only when they are provoked or in danger.
FACT #4 Bees are big on Girl Power
Perhaps the most unexpected fact is that in every bee society, the worker bees are all females. They work extremely hard to contribute to the nesting process, and protect the nests as well. But the female worker bees do not breed, only the Queen Bee does. Doesn’t this give a new perspective to the fact that Beyonce’s fans call themselves the Beehive? The ones who are passionately protective of their Queen Bee.
FACT #5 Bee Nests, not Beehives, is the “correct” term
You would have noticed by now that we have been using the term “bee nest” , instead of “beehive”. If we want to get down to specifics, beehives are man-made structures intentionally to house bees. Bee nests are what the bees build on their own and usually in isolated areas. In other words, the ones we usually spot in trees, roof cavities, holes in walls, on house plants are bee nests. The other word that is commonly misused is “removal”. Rest assured when ORIGIN does bee nest removal, we do not actually destroy the hive or kill the bees. We rehouse them in a local bee farm!
Read More>> Everything You Need To Know About Bee Relocation
NOW YOU KNOW!
Bees are the crux of our ecosystem. Unfortunately, bee control in Singapore is still largely “bee removal” where bees are killed and their nests destroyed. That is why ORIGIN has bee relocation services instead of bee removal. You’ll be happy to know that in order to carry out our mission responsibly and safely, we partnered with local bee farmer, John Chong, founder of BEE AMAZED Garden. He has personally trained our team in the methods of bee biology and behavior, bee nest handling, and relocation. Every bee nest we save is re-housed on John’s farm.
So the next time you see a bee nest, keep calm and give us a call at +65 6280 5666. ORIGIN will bring these little creatures to a more conducive home sweet home.
