#Australian #honeybees are one of the most majestic and industrious insects on the planet.

I can watch them for hours. And often do in my travels around #melbourne.

They’ve been active the last couple of months pollinating and feeding, naturally, given it has been the height of summer here in #Australia.

Below are some of my shots of busy #bees doing their thing throughout my travels around this great city. Also some interesting facts about these gorgeous creatures!

Only female honey bees can sting, the males (drones) are not able to sting.

A typical active #honeybee colony may have around 50,000 workers
Honey bees communicate through pheromones.

Honey bees fly up to 25 klm/h (15 mph) and beat their wings 200 times per second or 12,000 beats per minute!

Drones die after mating.

Foraging honey #bees fly about 88,000 klm’s (55,000 miles) collectively, to produce a half a kilogram (approx 1 pound) of honey, visiting around 2 million flowers.

Each honey #bee makes about 1 twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its entire life time 😳

A worker honeybees lifetime? Between 30 - 60 days.

#flora #botanics #gardening #garden #nature #Australia #AustralianBush #Narrm #melbourne #mothernature #nature #bees #honey #honebees #honeybee #bee 
#makesmehappy

🐝

These bees were photographed in #GlenIris #Australia on a #magnolia bush.

They were ‘busy’ indeed!!

Some quick facts about honeybees;
Only female honey bees can sting, the males (drones) are not able to sting.

A typical active #honeybee colony may have around 50,000 workers
Honey bees communicate through pheromones.

Honey bees fly up to 25 klm/h (15 mph) and beat their wings 200 times per second or 12,000 beats per minute!

Drones die after mating.

Foraging honey #bees fly about 88,000 klm’s (55,000 miles) collectively, to produce a half a kilogram (approx 1 pound) of honey, visiting around 2 million flowers.

Each honey #bee makes about 1 twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its entire life time 😳

A worker honeybees lifetime? Between 30 - 60 days.

#flora #botanics #gardening #garden #nature #Australia #AustralianBush #Narrm #melbourne #mothernature #nature #bees #honey #honebees #honeybee #makesmehappy

🐝

Saw this #magnolia and bees were in abundance!

I watched this one #bee for 5 minutes as it stayed with this flower

Most of the time it seemed to be picking up and placing down the flower’s filaments and anthers (the pieces laying on the bottom petal). Very active, flying

Other #honeybees were flitting in, around and out again per usual

Super #intriguing

Some quick facts about honeybees;

Only female honey bees can sting, the males (drones) are not able to sting

A typical active honeybee colony may have around 50,000 workers

Honey bees communicate through pheromones

Honey bees fly up to 25 klm/h (15 mph) and beat their wings 200 times per second or 12,000 beats per minute!

Drones die after mating

Foraging honey bees fly about 88,000 klm’s (55,000 miles) collectively, to produce a half a kilogram (approx 1 pound) of honey, visiting around 2 million flowers

Each honey bee makes about 1 twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its entire life time 😳

A worker honeybees lifetime? Between 30 - 60 days

#flora #botanics #gardening #garden #nature #Australia #AustralianBush #mothernature #nature #bees #honey #honebees #honeybee

#makesmehappy

🐝