I guess we never think about bees getting tired, do we? The fact is, they spend a lot of time buzzing around gathering pollen for their baskets, and sometimes the exhausted little guys just crawl into a flower and take a nap. Who knew? The phrase “busy bees” just took on new meaning for me, and maybe for you, too. The funny part is that sometimes you can see their rounded hairy abdomens (and bottoms) covered up with pollen, sticking right up through the flower’s petals. Also, bumblebees are very hairy creatures, and that’s useful for gathering food and pollinating as they buzz merrily about their days.
There are several different species of bumblebees and they range in size from small to large. You’ll also find them with different colored bands that can range from orange to black, yellow and white, and running from their heads all the way down to the tips of their abdomens. Honey bees are similar in size and they also carry pollen baskets and have hair, but their hair is much more sparse than that of bumblebees, which makes it easy to tell them apart if you know what you’re looking at. Many species of wild bees regularly sleep in flowers.
However, honey bees typically work in shifts and nap or sleep in the hive. It does happen that they can lose their way when they’re out working all day. In that case, they’ll just go to sleep in flowers, too. Brandon Hopkins is a bee researcher at Washington State University and he says it’s important that honey bees sleep because it helps them remember where to go to find nectar and pollen. I guess just like us, they get a little muddled if they’re not rested.
He says that the males of many species of bees stay out at night, frequently in large groups. Again, just like us (just kidding, sort of). Their sole purpose in life is to impregnate a female to replace a dying or aging queen.
Female bees are the ones who do most of the work (I’m not going to keep saying “just like us,” don’t worry!). They take care of the queen and the hive. They also buzz around all day doing the foraging and pollination. They’re essential workers and need our thanks, respect, and protection.
