Bees

Ireland has 101 bee species in Ireland The honeybee is just one of them, Ireland has 20 bumblebee species and 81 solitary bee species Where do they live?

Bees Bumblebees There is a bumblebee unique or special to Ireland. This bumblebee only lives on the Aran Islands!

Some bees can live anywhere!

There are different kinds of bumblebees and solitary bees

They can live anywhere in Ireland

But some bees only live in particular areas Solitary Bees

Bees Some bees have always lived in Ireland But there are some bees that have travelled to Ireland and settled here. Where do bees live?

Gardens and parks! But some bees are particular about where they live

Sand Dune Bees Bogland Grassland Mountains

Bees We even have Urban bees! They live to live in different cities and towns. What do you know about bees?

List them and see if that knowledge appears on the next few slides..

Bees Bees are insects They are generally social insects. Bumblebes and Wasps are semi social bees. They live in groups during the summer only Honey Bees are social all year round. They live in hives and work together to make honey.

Bumblebees

Plump, furry, black and yellow bands Bees

Wasps

Slender, with black and yellow bands around its body

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Honey Bees

These are the bees we know most about. They are shaped like a wasp but their body is brown or black, with light bands.

Honey bees like to live close to one another. They live in a colony.

The colony is at its smallest between November and February and at its biggest between June and August

Bees There are three kinds of bees that live in a hive.

The Queen

The Queen is the mother of the hive.

She spends her time laying eggs. She is fed and tended to by the worker bees.

Queens live for 5-6 years There is only one queen in each hive.

Bees

The Worker Bee

This bee is a female bee She is shorter than the queen.

They do most of their work in the hive, they feed the young bees, as they grow older they work on the beeswax and later become foragers collecting nectar which makes honey.

Worker generally live for 6 weeks

Bees

The Drone

This is the male bee.

He doesn’t really work in the hive. He is daddy to many bees in the hive Their body heat helps to keep babies nad the hive warm But when the foraging season is over they are driven from the hive because they are not useful anymore They live between 21days and 90 days

anywhere with shelter. Bees Bees live in trees, roofs, walls or Some bees live in a hive. The beekeeper takes care of the bees that live in a hive.

Bees http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl e-1303302/A-stinging-competition contestants-fight-win-best-Bee Beard.html

Most people run away from bees.

Some people really LOVE bees! In Canada there is a contest to see who can ‘wear’ honeybees on their body and face! It is called Beebearding!

Bees Save Our bees! Bees are in trouble all over the world!

Bees 1. We are destroying their habitats 2. Some wildflowers are being destroyed all over Ireland for 2 reasons. A) farmers clearing their land B) We love to tidy the landscape – we often pull wild flowers which bees need to survive thinking we are making the land look neater and cleaner 3. Pesticides – while this keeps all sorts of insects away from crops it also makes our bees sick 4. Honeybees are in decline because they are getting sick as well. There is a mite which is making many honeybees sick

Bees

Why do we need bees?

•Bees are pollinators. •It carries pollen form flower to flower. •Pollen helps flowers to produce more flowers. The pollen sticks to the bees body and when it flies to another flower it drops into the flower which then makes a seed.

•So bees are needed to help keep our plants (not just flowers) from becoming extinct.

•Without pollination we will not have crops, we will not have food to ear. Most fruit, vegetables, oil, nut plants need bees.

•Without bees food will get very expensive. •It is estimated that out of 100 crop species which provide 90% of food worldwide, 71 of these are bee-pollinated.

Bees

Why do we need bees?

The real business of a bee is to gather nectar which is then turned into honey and beeswax.

As humans we eat honey. It is very nutritious for you. We use beeswax to make candles, lip balm, face cream, wax to polish furniture…

Bees

What can we do to help bees?

What do you think?

Turn to your partner and put some thoughts together…

Bees

Sources:

http://pollinators.biodiversityireland.ie/bees/conservation-initiatives/ http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/html/beebasics.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bee http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/honeybee/

SOME VIDEOS AVAILABLE ABOUT BEES VIEW BEFORE USING IN THE CLASSROOM The city of bees a video for kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bArNmKbYVm8

A short video – with pictures and music - Powerpoint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yF5O26vYT8&feature=related

Songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUvup1rU0gU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmIx4ReBPd4&feature=related

Flight of the Bumblebee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QV1RGMLUKE

PLEASE LOOK AT ALL VIDEOS BEFORE YOU USE THEM TO DEEM THEM SUITABLE FOR YOUR CLASS