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Bees are needed to help many food crops and wild plants thrive. Did you know that bees can be found on every continent of the world except for Antarctica?

Animal Profile

 

Lifespan

Bees have different lifespans depending on their type and role in the hive. A worker bee may only live a few weeks or months, whereas a queen bee can live for three or four years.

Eyes

Bees can see ultraviolet light, which humans cannot see.

Body

Bees have three body regions: the head, thorax and abdomen.

Wings

Like many insects, bees have six legs. Honey bees have special hairs on their back legs to collect pollen.

A bee’s life

A single worker bee only produces one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in their life.

Did you know?

A honey bee colony can contain up to 60,000 bees. That’s a lot of bees!

Bees in New Zealand

Aotearoa has 28 known species of native bees. New Zealand native bees are solitary and dig tunnels underground to nest.

Did you know?

Bees’ antennae have a bunch of sensors in them, which help them taste and smell, and they also help them land on differently angled surfaces.