Associated Press
- Bees are disappearing: About 40% of the US’ honey bee colonies died between October 2018 and April 2019, according to a recent study.
- Despite their bad reputation, the insects are essential for our food-production system.
- They’re also fascinating. Here are a dozen mind-blowing facts about bees.
- Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.
Whether you’re fascinated by bees or tend run away from them, you enjoy the fruits of their labor: Bees play a vital role in our ecosystem by pollinating plants.
Honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of US food crops, according to the AP; one-third of everything Americans eat comes from pollinators like honey bees.
Unfortunately, bees’ numbers are declining. Researchers from the University of Maryland reported last month that about 40% of the US’ honeybee colonies died between October 2018 and April 2019 — the highest winter loss in 13 years. Another recent study found similar problems in the UK: One-third of 353 wild bee and hoverfly species there experienced declines between 1980 and 2013. These losses are primarily due to decreasing crop diversity, poor beekeeping practices, pesticides, and loss of habitat (caused by human activity and climate change).
Given these insects’ vital role in our lives, here are 12 things you probably didn’t know about bees.
The oldest bee fossil is 100 million years old.
Oregon State University
In 2006, researchers from Oregon State University found a bee fossil in Myanmar’s Hukawng Valley that dates back 100 million years. The bee fossil was preserved in amber and is believed to be one of the oldest fossils on record.
There are more than 20,000 species of bees.
Hani Mohammed/AP
A bee is defined as any member of the suborder Apocrita, which includes honeybees, bumblebees, and many other fly-like and wasp-like creatures.
In the US, there are more than 100,000 beekeepers.
Dale G. Young/Detroit News via AP
The practice of beekeeping is a 9,000-year-old tradition. Some of the world’s first beekeepers were prehistoric farmers.
Today, there are between 115,000 and 125,000 beekeepers in the US. The majority are hobbyists (anyone with less than 25 hives). Honey is produced in every state, but North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, Florida, and California are among the top honey-producing states.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- Vintage EPA photos reveal what US waterways looked like before pollution was regulated
- Photos show freak summer hailstorm coating roads with 5 feet of ice in Guadalajara, Mexico
- A dog sent to die and tortoises that flew around the moon: These are the most famous, bizarre, and important animals that have been sent to space
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Zoë Miller)