| Bees Gr K-5 Insects Home |
For Parents/Educators you are very welcome to download any or all of our Printable Bee Thematic Units
and/or Lesson Plans for use in your homes, homeschool, classroom or community centres. Try some
yummy Honey Recipes too!
"Simple and sweet is their food; they eat no flesh of the living."
—VON KUEBEL.
WARNINGS: Multiple bee stings can be dangerous. If one is allergic to hives bee stings can be fatal.
PLEASE ensure that adequate safety precautions are taken when observing or studying bees. Do NOT
attempt to study bees near a colony without a qualified and experienced bee-keeper. Children should
NOT attempt to examine bees without appropriate supervision.
Bees are flying insects with two pairs of transparent wings. Many common species have coloured stripes
on their abdomen. For a layman "bees" means Honey bees that live in colonies and is a source of honey.
Honey bees have a hairy body. In honey bees each pair of legs is specialised for specific purposes like
cleaning antennae, accumulating and carrying pollen, and picking wax secreted by their own body. The
mouth parts are suited for Chewing solid food like pollen and for lapping up liquids like nectar.
For a naturalist bees are just not Honey bees, there are other families of bees that differ from honey bees
in look, feeding and nesting habits. These are bumble bees, Cellophane bees, Cocoo Bees, Mining
Bees, Sweat bees, Leaf cutter bees, Mason bees , Digger bees, And Carpenter bees etc. These are
common in our surroundings but are less conspicuous. This is because many of them are solitary or live
in less organised small communities, unlike the highly social honey bees that live in large colonies.
All bees, wasps, hornets and ants belong to a common insect order Hymenoptera. All these insects have
transparent wings and share a similar anatomy.
Where does it live?
Honeybees are social insects and large colonies of Honeybees live in hives made of wax and some plant
exudates (propolis). Honey bees secrete wax from glands in their abdomen.
Other bee species are either social living in small communities or are solitary. They make their own nests
using wax, propolis, plant parts, mud etc. The nests are built in the open on trees and shrubs, in holes
boring holes into wood, in under ground tunnels, in abandoned rat holes, in cracks and crevices in
buildings etc. Bees make their hives or nests in the open as well as in dark places. Nesting habits differ
with species.
What does it eat?
Most bees take nectar and pollen as their primary source of nutrition. Pollen is the major protein source
that helps to build body parts and nectar is the major carbohydrate source that provides energy
In honey bees that are social and live in colonies there is a clear caste differentiation into queen, worker
and drone. The main food differs for each caste. The queen and the larval stages are fed with a secretion
called royal jelly (queen substance) secreted by the worker bees. In honey bees the food changes from
royal jelly to pollen and nectar with the different growth stages of the larva. The adult workers feed mostly
on nectar and pollen. Drones are fed with royal jelly, nectar and pollen. Honey bees convert nectar into
honey and store it for using in dearth periods like winter when nectar and pollen are not available.
How does it defend itself?
Female honey bees have stingers that are modified parts of the female reproductive system. Bees sting
when they feel threatened. It is worker bees that sting while defending the colony. Stingers are in the last
segment of the abdomen. In many species the act of stinging is fatal to the bee. The last segment of the
bee's body carries the venom gland and gets ripped off from the abdomen of the bee while stinging and
the bee dies due to the injury. The detached stinger is left on the body of the victim. If the sting is not
immediately removed from the victim's body more venom is pumped into the body by the pulsating venom
glands. Worker bees have tiny barbs in the stinger similar to that of a harpoon head. It is due to these
barbs the sting rips off from bee and gets lodged on victim's body.
The sting left on the victim’s body, gives off an alarm signal by release of a chemical called pheromones.
This attracts other bees in the colony to sting the victim. So a person is stung by a bee, the sting must be
removed immediately to avoid further stings from other bees which are attracted by the pheromone signal.
Immediate removal of the sting also reduces the amount of bee venom injected into the body and the pain
and swelling arising out of the sting. Bee stings are painful and will lead to swelling around the stung
area and some species are highly venomous and stings can be life threatening. For some people, even
the sting from bee species that are not very venomous could cause allergic reactions that can lead to
death or intense pain if not treated immediately.
Some species, like killer bees, are highly irritable and have a bad reputation of attacking passers by even
if there was no attempt to irritate the colony. These bees are present in both of the American continents. It
is a good idea not to go near a bee colony unless one is has a good knowledge of handling bees and can
identify the species that is in the colony. Often it is difficult to differentiate between the killer bee species
and the domesticated bee species in the wild. Bee stings become fatal if the number of stings that the
victim has suffered is too high or if the species is highly venomous.
A few bee species which do not have stingers bite using the mandibles ( mandibles are mouth parts of
the insect that are using for cutting and chewing).
What stages of metamorphosis does it go through?
Bees are advanced insects that have all the four stages of metamorphosis. A Bee life cycle includes egg,
larva, pupa and adult stages.
In most bees species the eggs hatch by the third day after laying or within a few days. During the larval
stage growth rate is high and hence larvae are voracious . Bees exhibit parental care and adult bees take
care of the larvae by feeding them. Larval stage extends from a week to a fort night after which larvae enter
the dormant pupae stage. Pupae stage lasts for a period ranging from a week to a couple of weeks.
Larvae and Pupae are housed in special cells prepared by adult bees made of wax, propolis or plant
parts. Larvae do not forage on their own and requires parental care to survive.
In few primitive species of bees the adults stuff the cells with reserve food and lay the egg in the cells. The
emerging larvae feed on the stored food till it enters pupae stage. This behaviour is similar to those of
wasps.
What special behaviour does it exhibit?
Most bee species exhibit parental care and the parents feed and bring up the larvae to pupae stage.
Parental care is more significant in those species which live in highly organised societies like Honey
bees.
Each Honey bee colony has different castes of bees which are different morphologically. Each Honey bee
colony has a queen . The queen is the only female that can lay fertilized eggs that will hatch to larvae
capable of developing into queen or worker. Queens are generally larger in size compared to other castes
in the colony.
There are a few drones in the honey bee colony which are male bees which have only reproductive
function. Drones mate with newly emerged queens. After mating the Drones die.
The majority of bees in a honey bee colony are worker bees which are females which cannot lay eggs in
the presence of the queen. The workers forage for pollen and nectar, feed the queen, drones and larvae,
clean the hives, process and convert nectar into honey and build, maintain and defend the hive.
A major activity of worker bees in a honeybee colony is preparation of honey which serves as a reserve
food during dearth period of nectar, especially during winter. The worker bees lap up nectar (which is
water like in consistency) from flowers and other plant parts and store in their stomach till they return to
their hives. In the bee’s stomach water is removed from the nectar to concentrate and thicken the nectar.
Some digestive juices also mix with the nectar in the bee’s stomach. Once the bee returns to the hive the
concentrated nectar is regurgitated from stomach through the mouth into special honey storing cells.
Further processing is done by evaporating the water in the nectar stored in the cells by synchronised
beating of wings of bees to create an air flow in the hive. This is called fanning. When nectar in the cells
reaches the required thickness it is called honey and the cells are sealed by the bees.
Honey bees also collect and store pollen in special cells for reserve food.
Bees like most insects communicate using chemical signals called pheromones. In addition to this
Honeybees communicate by special pattern of movement inside the hive. This called bee dance. The
communication by bee dance is symbolic and generally conveys the direction and distance of a food
source from the hive.
How do bees affect people?
Honey is taken from honey bee colonies in the wild and from colonies that are reared in apiaries (bee
farms). In addition to honey pollen, bee's wax, propolis and royal jelly are major apiary products.
Bees are very important pollinators and improve productivity in crops. Many species are reared by farmers
to enhance crop productivity by proper pollination.
As noted before bee stings can be extremely painful and can lead to health problems if they are not
treated correctly.
Some species of leaf cutter bees and wood borer bees are household or garden pests that eat plant parts
like leaves and flowers, or bore into wooden articles in the house hold.
and/or Lesson Plans for use in your homes, homeschool, classroom or community centres. Try some
yummy Honey Recipes too!
"Simple and sweet is their food; they eat no flesh of the living."
—VON KUEBEL.
WARNINGS: Multiple bee stings can be dangerous. If one is allergic to hives bee stings can be fatal.
PLEASE ensure that adequate safety precautions are taken when observing or studying bees. Do NOT
attempt to study bees near a colony without a qualified and experienced bee-keeper. Children should
NOT attempt to examine bees without appropriate supervision.
Bees are flying insects with two pairs of transparent wings. Many common species have coloured stripes
on their abdomen. For a layman "bees" means Honey bees that live in colonies and is a source of honey.
Honey bees have a hairy body. In honey bees each pair of legs is specialised for specific purposes like
cleaning antennae, accumulating and carrying pollen, and picking wax secreted by their own body. The
mouth parts are suited for Chewing solid food like pollen and for lapping up liquids like nectar.
For a naturalist bees are just not Honey bees, there are other families of bees that differ from honey bees
in look, feeding and nesting habits. These are bumble bees, Cellophane bees, Cocoo Bees, Mining
Bees, Sweat bees, Leaf cutter bees, Mason bees , Digger bees, And Carpenter bees etc. These are
common in our surroundings but are less conspicuous. This is because many of them are solitary or live
in less organised small communities, unlike the highly social honey bees that live in large colonies.
All bees, wasps, hornets and ants belong to a common insect order Hymenoptera. All these insects have
transparent wings and share a similar anatomy.
Where does it live?
Honeybees are social insects and large colonies of Honeybees live in hives made of wax and some plant
exudates (propolis). Honey bees secrete wax from glands in their abdomen.
Other bee species are either social living in small communities or are solitary. They make their own nests
using wax, propolis, plant parts, mud etc. The nests are built in the open on trees and shrubs, in holes
boring holes into wood, in under ground tunnels, in abandoned rat holes, in cracks and crevices in
buildings etc. Bees make their hives or nests in the open as well as in dark places. Nesting habits differ
with species.
What does it eat?
Most bees take nectar and pollen as their primary source of nutrition. Pollen is the major protein source
that helps to build body parts and nectar is the major carbohydrate source that provides energy
In honey bees that are social and live in colonies there is a clear caste differentiation into queen, worker
and drone. The main food differs for each caste. The queen and the larval stages are fed with a secretion
called royal jelly (queen substance) secreted by the worker bees. In honey bees the food changes from
royal jelly to pollen and nectar with the different growth stages of the larva. The adult workers feed mostly
on nectar and pollen. Drones are fed with royal jelly, nectar and pollen. Honey bees convert nectar into
honey and store it for using in dearth periods like winter when nectar and pollen are not available.
How does it defend itself?
Female honey bees have stingers that are modified parts of the female reproductive system. Bees sting
when they feel threatened. It is worker bees that sting while defending the colony. Stingers are in the last
segment of the abdomen. In many species the act of stinging is fatal to the bee. The last segment of the
bee's body carries the venom gland and gets ripped off from the abdomen of the bee while stinging and
the bee dies due to the injury. The detached stinger is left on the body of the victim. If the sting is not
immediately removed from the victim's body more venom is pumped into the body by the pulsating venom
glands. Worker bees have tiny barbs in the stinger similar to that of a harpoon head. It is due to these
barbs the sting rips off from bee and gets lodged on victim's body.
The sting left on the victim’s body, gives off an alarm signal by release of a chemical called pheromones.
This attracts other bees in the colony to sting the victim. So a person is stung by a bee, the sting must be
removed immediately to avoid further stings from other bees which are attracted by the pheromone signal.
Immediate removal of the sting also reduces the amount of bee venom injected into the body and the pain
and swelling arising out of the sting. Bee stings are painful and will lead to swelling around the stung
area and some species are highly venomous and stings can be life threatening. For some people, even
the sting from bee species that are not very venomous could cause allergic reactions that can lead to
death or intense pain if not treated immediately.
Some species, like killer bees, are highly irritable and have a bad reputation of attacking passers by even
if there was no attempt to irritate the colony. These bees are present in both of the American continents. It
is a good idea not to go near a bee colony unless one is has a good knowledge of handling bees and can
identify the species that is in the colony. Often it is difficult to differentiate between the killer bee species
and the domesticated bee species in the wild. Bee stings become fatal if the number of stings that the
victim has suffered is too high or if the species is highly venomous.
A few bee species which do not have stingers bite using the mandibles ( mandibles are mouth parts of
the insect that are using for cutting and chewing).
What stages of metamorphosis does it go through?
Bees are advanced insects that have all the four stages of metamorphosis. A Bee life cycle includes egg,
larva, pupa and adult stages.
In most bees species the eggs hatch by the third day after laying or within a few days. During the larval
stage growth rate is high and hence larvae are voracious . Bees exhibit parental care and adult bees take
care of the larvae by feeding them. Larval stage extends from a week to a fort night after which larvae enter
the dormant pupae stage. Pupae stage lasts for a period ranging from a week to a couple of weeks.
Larvae and Pupae are housed in special cells prepared by adult bees made of wax, propolis or plant
parts. Larvae do not forage on their own and requires parental care to survive.
In few primitive species of bees the adults stuff the cells with reserve food and lay the egg in the cells. The
emerging larvae feed on the stored food till it enters pupae stage. This behaviour is similar to those of
wasps.
What special behaviour does it exhibit?
Most bee species exhibit parental care and the parents feed and bring up the larvae to pupae stage.
Parental care is more significant in those species which live in highly organised societies like Honey
bees.
Each Honey bee colony has different castes of bees which are different morphologically. Each Honey bee
colony has a queen . The queen is the only female that can lay fertilized eggs that will hatch to larvae
capable of developing into queen or worker. Queens are generally larger in size compared to other castes
in the colony.
There are a few drones in the honey bee colony which are male bees which have only reproductive
function. Drones mate with newly emerged queens. After mating the Drones die.
The majority of bees in a honey bee colony are worker bees which are females which cannot lay eggs in
the presence of the queen. The workers forage for pollen and nectar, feed the queen, drones and larvae,
clean the hives, process and convert nectar into honey and build, maintain and defend the hive.
A major activity of worker bees in a honeybee colony is preparation of honey which serves as a reserve
food during dearth period of nectar, especially during winter. The worker bees lap up nectar (which is
water like in consistency) from flowers and other plant parts and store in their stomach till they return to
their hives. In the bee’s stomach water is removed from the nectar to concentrate and thicken the nectar.
Some digestive juices also mix with the nectar in the bee’s stomach. Once the bee returns to the hive the
concentrated nectar is regurgitated from stomach through the mouth into special honey storing cells.
Further processing is done by evaporating the water in the nectar stored in the cells by synchronised
beating of wings of bees to create an air flow in the hive. This is called fanning. When nectar in the cells
reaches the required thickness it is called honey and the cells are sealed by the bees.
Honey bees also collect and store pollen in special cells for reserve food.
Bees like most insects communicate using chemical signals called pheromones. In addition to this
Honeybees communicate by special pattern of movement inside the hive. This called bee dance. The
communication by bee dance is symbolic and generally conveys the direction and distance of a food
source from the hive.
How do bees affect people?
Honey is taken from honey bee colonies in the wild and from colonies that are reared in apiaries (bee
farms). In addition to honey pollen, bee's wax, propolis and royal jelly are major apiary products.
Bees are very important pollinators and improve productivity in crops. Many species are reared by farmers
to enhance crop productivity by proper pollination.
As noted before bee stings can be extremely painful and can lead to health problems if they are not
treated correctly.
Some species of leaf cutter bees and wood borer bees are household or garden pests that eat plant parts
like leaves and flowers, or bore into wooden articles in the house hold.
Worker, queen and drone honey bees; all about
natural size. (After Phillips, U. S. Dept. of Agri.)
natural size. (After Phillips, U. S. Dept. of Agri.)
Stages of development of honey
bee; a, egg; b, young grub; c,
full-fed grub; d, pupa; all enlarged.
(After Phillips, U. S. Dept. Agri.)
bee; a, egg; b, young grub; c,
full-fed grub; d, pupa; all enlarged.
(After Phillips, U. S. Dept. Agri.)
| A Comprehensive Reading and Unit Study about the Adventures of this well loved Creature. 167 Pages of Pure Joy! Click Thumbnail to preview |
| A comprehensive Unit Study & Activity Book for PreK-5, Click to preview entire book |
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