The social life of bees

Like ants and wasps, bees belong to the order of Hymenoptera. The bee family is divided into honey bees and bumblebees. It is particularly interesting that bees live together in a large colony. There is a queen and only she lays the eggs from which the offspring hatch. Besides a few male animals (the so-called drones), a bee colony mainly consists of worker bees with various tasks. During her life a worker takes on new tasks again and again depending on her age.

Distinctive features of bees

At the beginning of its life a bee takes care of the comb cells and prepares them for the queen's eggs. Then it becomes a nurse bee and feeds the larvae (= baby bees) with nectar. Later it can produce wax with the glands at its rear and build combs. There are also guard bees, which protect the hive from foreign intruders and forager bees, which fly out to transport the sweet plant saps in a honey sac to the hive.

It is particularly interesting that the forager bees use special dances to show which direction food sources are. There they regurgitate the nectar and it is taken up by the house bees. They process the nectar in their honey stomach and bring it to the combs to deposit the ripe honey there. The honey is used as food for the larvae and it is also the bee colony's winter supply.

Bees are important for the environment

Beekeepers can harvest a small part of the honey "harvest": For this they take the combs out of the hive, remove the wax layer from the combs and gently spin the honey out. A special centrifuge machine is used for this. And then everyone with a sweet tooth can eat a honey sandwich. But bees and other insects are above all important for agriculture and wildflower plants: because fruit trees, the grain in the fields and all other plants need the bees for pollination. For when insects take the nectar from the flowers, they distribute pollen from plant to plant. This is important so that these can then produce fruits like apples, strawberries, wheat and other grains.

Irreplaceable for our environment

Unfortunately, the bee populations have been in danger for years: On the one hand the varroa mite is spreading further. It infests the larvae of honey bees and feeds on their blood. In the process the mite transmits pathogens that can be deadly to bee colonies. Also dangerous are some agents that farmers use for crop protection. Some pesticides disrupt the bees' sense of orientation, so that they do not return to their hive. Thus the queen and the larvae lack food and the bee colony dies.

Helping endangered bees

Anyone who wants to do something good for bees can offer them a buffet of flowers and other insect-friendly plants to offer. There are a whole range of plants that bees, but also bumblebees or butterflies like: savory and lavender not only look nice, but can also be used in the kitchen as culinary herbs. Also herbs like basil, oregano, sage, rosemary and mint are liked by bees. So if you tend a herb spiral in the garden or a herb pot on the balcony, you not only have fresh greens for cooking but also help insects.

A particularly nice plant for a children's bed is nasturtium: It grows quickly, blooms from July to October and you can eat both the leaves and the flowers in a salad – however the leaves taste somewhat peppery. And of course bees, bumblebees and butterflies also like all other flowering plants: forget-me-nots, bellflowers, sunflowers, snapdragons, strawflowers, marigolds, mallows and carnations – by planting a variety of plants in your beds, tubs and pots you quite literally set a rich table for insects.

Gardening with Children

In shared garden projects, children can observe bees and learn more about them. The young gardeners are thrilled when they can help out. And they are even more excited when they can grow their own plants and watch them thrive. Vegetables like carrots, cucumbers or kohlrabi or fruits like raspberries, blueberries or gooseberries can be grown together with the children. But flowers like sunflowers or herbs like basil are also excellent for garden projects with children. And the bees are happy too!

Games & crafts about bees

Children also learn a lot about bees through play. A popular classic for children is the Hanni Honeybee game. In this dice game, children take on the role of Hanni Honeybee, who diligently collects nectar in the meadow and brings it to the beehive.

You can also make bee-related crafts with children. This is particularly suitable for Bee Day on May 20. In our shop you can find Craft kits with instructions for bee window decorations and small insect hotels.