Bee Species – Not all bees are created equal

There are over 2,000 Native Bee species to be found across Australia with approximately 800 Native Bee Species located in Western Australia.

Native Australian bees are predominantly solitary, each female building one or more nests in which to rear her offspring without the aid of ‘workers’.

Only 11 species are known to store honey, mostly in small quantities.

Pure Naked Honey is produced by the Italian honey bee, which belongs to the subspecies category of the Apis mellifera ligustica, originating from the different parts of Italy, commonly south of the Alps and the northern part of Sicily.

Italians are noted for their productivity and gentle behavior.

Their relatives are also known to have survived the last Ice Age.

The Italian honey bee is actually the most commonly distributed type of honey bee since it has been proved to be quite adaptive to any kind of climate ranging from subtropical up to a cool temperature, although the Italian honey bee has been known to be less productive in regions with humid tropical climate.

It is also known for its extended brood rearing periods, meaning its hive can be utilised for a longer period of time.

Some more interesting facts about honey bees….

Honey is the only food that people can eat which is produced by insects
Brain health is boosted by eating honey thanks to an antioxidant called ‘pinocembrin’
Over its lifespan, a single bee can only produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey
While bee colonies are made up of between 20,000 and 60,000 bees, there is only one queen
Every bee colony has a unique smell which allows bees to find their way home
1kg of honey requires 1,100 bees to visit 4 million flowers
Bees fly the equivalent of three orbits around the earth to produce 1kg of honey
Bees collect nectar from 50 to 100 flowers during any one trip
Bees have dual stomachs; one for food and one for nectar
Bees have 170 odorant receptors giving them an incredible sense of smell
A bee is capable of complex calculations and can learn and remember new things
Their distinctive buzzing sound is made partly by the rapid stroking of their wings
Bees have lived on earth for million of years – remarkably surviving the Ice Age
A queen bee’s lifespan is around five years
Male bees, known as drones, are only needed for the task of mating with the queen
The bees that sting are called worker bees and they die afterwards
Bee communication takes place by smell and by dancing
As much as 45kg of surplus honey can be extracted from one hive in a season
Bees live off stored honey during the winter months