FaunaHub

Bee

InsectPollinatorInvertebrate

A western honey bee collecting nectar from a yellow rapeseed flower.

Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) foraging on a flower.

Image: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Bees are flying insects of the clade Anthophila, closely related to wasps and ants. There are roughly 20,000 described species worldwide, the great majority of which are solitary rather than living in hives. This page is a group-level overview; the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is used as a familiar reference species. Bees are among the most important pollinators of wild plants and crops.

Habitat & Range

Bees live almost everywhere there are flowering plants — meadows, forests, gardens, farmland, and deserts — on every continent except Antarctica. Honey bees nest in cavities such as hollow trees or managed hives, while most wild bees nest individually in the ground, in hollow stems, or in cavities. Habitat needs vary widely by species, and many depend on specific plants or nesting sites.

Diet

Bees feed mainly on two products of flowers: nectar, an energy-rich sugar source, and pollen, which provides protein. As they move between flowers to collect these, bees transfer pollen and pollinate the plants. Larvae are generally fed on pollen and nectar provided by adults. Specific flower preferences vary, and some bees are specialists tied to particular plants.

Behavior

Social bees such as honey bees and bumble bees live in colonies with a queen and workers and show complex behaviour, including the honey bee's famous "waggle dance" used to share the location of food. The majority of bee species, however, are solitary: a single female builds and provisions her own nest. Because of this range, social behaviour described for honey bees should not be assumed for bees in general.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Bees are enormously important to ecosystems and agriculture through pollination, and honey bees are also kept for honey and crop pollination. Many wild bee species face pressures from habitat loss, pesticides, disease, and climate change, and supporting pollinators is a significant conservation focus. Conservation status varies greatly by species and should be checked against current sources such as the Xerces Society and the IUCN.

Appearance & Recognition

Bees typically have a furry body, two pairs of wings, and branched body hairs that help trap pollen; many also carry pollen on specialised structures on their legs or underside. They vary from tiny species a few millimetres long to large, robust bumble bees. Bees are often confused with wasps, but tend to be hairier and stouter, whereas wasps are usually smoother and narrower-waisted.

Similar Animals

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera alongside wasps and the ants covered separately on FaunaHub. They are frequently mistaken for wasps and for some bee-mimicking hoverflies, which have only one pair of wings and do not sting. The honey bee is just one of thousands of bee species.

More photos of the bee

A honey bee in flight approaching a flower.

A western honey bee in flight.

Image: Toby Hudson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Bee

Are all bees social and do they all make honey?
No. Most of the world's roughly 20,000 bee species are solitary, and only a small number — chiefly honey bees — produce honey in quantity. Bumble bees are social but store little honey. Statements about honey bees often do not apply to bees in general.
Why are bees important?
Bees are key pollinators. As they collect nectar and pollen, they transfer pollen between flowers, which many wild plants and crops rely on to reproduce. This makes bees important to both natural ecosystems and food production.
What is the difference between a bee and a wasp?
Both are in the order Hymenoptera, but bees are generally hairier and stouter and feed their young on pollen and nectar, while wasps tend to be smoother, more slender-waisted, and many are predators. Not all bees can sting repeatedly, and honey bee workers can sting only once.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.