Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Bee Fun facts

From this month's edition of the puget sound beekeeping club's newsletter:

Honey Bee Fun Facts
• Honeybees are the only bees that die after they sting.
• Honey speeds the healing process and combats infections.
• Honey never spoils.
• It would take about 1 ounce of honey to fuel a honeybee's flight around the
world.
• Honeybee colonies have unique odors that members flash like ID cards at
the hive's front door, so the guard bees can recognize the entering bees.
• While foraging for nectar and pollen, bees inadvertently transfer pollen
from the male to the female components of flowers. Each year, bees
pollinate 95 crops worth an estimated $10 billion in the U.S. alone. All told,
insect pollinators contribute to one-third of the world's diet.