Everything ever known
about bees.
In one place.
This website contains an unreasonable amount of information about bees. Species profiles, scientific data, beekeeping guides, honey classifications, cultural history, mythology, film appearances, celebrity beekeepers, bee-themed crafts, clothing, tourist destinations, jokes, records, and a glossary. We did not plan for it to get this extensive. Here we are.
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"A single honeybee will produce approximately 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime. A jar of honey represents the life's work of approximately 556 bees. You're welcome for that context."
Featured Reference Articles
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Species Profile
Apis mellifera — the only bee that produces honey at commercial scale, now found on every inhabited continent, responsible for $15 billion in annual US crop pollination.
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Science
Bumblebees vibrate their flight muscles at 400Hz to shake pollen from flowers. This is why tomatoes, peppers, and blueberries prefer them over honeybees.
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History
The bee was Napoleon's personal symbol, chosen to connect his empire to the Merovingian dynasty. He covered his coronation robes in gold embroidered bees.
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Records
Megachile pluto reaches 38mm — roughly the size of a human thumb. Lost to science for 38 years, rediscovered in 2019 on a single Indonesian island.
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Honey
Low water content, hydrogen peroxide production, and extreme acidity combine to make honey the only food that archaeologists have found edible in 3,000-year-old Egyptian tombs.