Question

How many types of bees are there? Explain.

Answer 1

There are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world. Bees live in colonies that contain the queen bee, the worker bee and the drone. The worker bee and the queen bee are both female, but only the queen bee can reproduce. All drones are male. Worker bees clean the hive, collect pollen and nectar to feed the colony and they take care of the offspring. The drone’s only job is to mate with the queen. The queen’s only job is to lay eggs.

Types of bees are described below:
1. The Honey Bee - (Family: Apidae):
Honey bees are classed as ‘social’ bees, as they live in colonies usually consisting of around 50,000 - 60,000 workers.

2.The Bumblebee (Family: Apidae):

Most bumblebee colonies are fairly small, from 50 to 400 workers, but usually around 120 to 200.Bumblebees are also excellent pollinators of all kinds of flowers.Unlike honeybees, bumblebees can sting more than once because their stingers are smooth and do not get caught in the skin when they fly away.

3.Leafcutter and Mason bees (Family: Megachilidae):

These types of bees are solitary bees. With solitary bees, usually, a single female mates, then constructs a nest alone, and provides for the egg cells that will become larvae.

4.Digger Bees and Carpenter Bees (Family: Apidae - originally, they were classified in the family

‘Anthophoridae’):

These are also solitary bees, and are good pollinators. Carpenter bees build nests just for themselves and only feed their own young. They get their name from their ability to drill through wood. Carpenter bee stingers are not barbed, so they are able to sting over and over again. Digger bees usually make their nests in soil.

5.Mining Bees (Family: Andrenidae):

Not to be confused with 'Digger Bees', Mining bees belong to a different family of bees altogether - and it's a huge family of bees, consisting of thousands of types of bees across the world. Mining bees are solitary, although females usually build nests quite close to each other.

6. Killer Bees (Family: Apidae):

Africanized "killer" bees look a lot like regular honeybees, but they have different wing measurements. They have been known to chase people for over a quarter of a mile once they get excited and aggressive.

7.Stingless Bees( family Apidae):

Mostly found in tropical climates, a fascinating range of species, with diverse feeding and nesting habits.