I love bees. I love the sound they make in a gum tree on a hot summer’s day. I love their furry little bodies that get full of pollen, the way they will die for their hive, the way they communicate via dance and the endless statistics that make these insects so incredible and fascinating.
When most of us think of bees, we think ‘black and yellow’. We think of honey, of Maya the bee and Winnie the Pooh. But did you know that there are thousands upon thousands of species of bees in the world, and about 1400 bee species in South Africa alone? Let’s delve into the fascinating world of bees…
Fun Facts
Over 20,000 different species of bee are spread around the world, found on every continent except Antarctica.
There are six bee families in South Africa:
(): These are the bees we picture, the ones that make honey.
