04/14/2026
Are you curious?
Bees!
There are over 20,000 known species of bees worldwide, Canada has 800 known species!!!
While honey bees and bumblebees are the most well-known, over 90% of bee species are actually solitary, living alone rather than in large hives.
Key Facts About Bee Diversity:
Families: All bees fall into seven families: Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, Andrenidae, Colletidae, Melittidae, and Stenotritidae.
Social vs. Solitary: Very few are social (like honey bees), while the vast majority are solitary, ground-nesting or wood-nesting bees.
Size Variance: Species range from the tiny 2mm Perdita minima (smallest) to large carpenter bees.
Common Types of Bees:
Honey Bees (Apidae): Known for producing honey and living in large, social hives.
Bumblebees (Apidae): Large, fuzzy, social bees known for buzz pollination.
Carpenter Bees (Apidae): Large, solitary bees that nest in wood.
Sweat Bees (Halictidae): Often metallic-colored, solitary bees attracted to human sweat.
Mason Bees (Megachilidae): Solitary bees that use mud to build nests.
Leafcutter Bees (Megachilidae): Solitary bees that cut leaves to line their nests.
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