10 incredible curiosities about bees that you (probably) did not know!

Bees are known and appreciated for being tireless workers and their particular behavior, which has always fascinated and intrigued man, represents one of the most important case studies in the animal kingdom. Beekeepers from all over the world, who take care of the well-being of bees and their hives "in exchange" for a small part of their precious products, know very well the secrets of these small but extraordinary animals. Here is a series of curiosities about bees that you probably don't know and would never expect!

1. Italian bees are the best in the world (and the most sought after) Well yes, let's start by immediately giving you some patriotic news: our Italian bees (ape mellifera ligustica) are the best bees in the world, the most industrious (and who would have thought it!) but alas, also the most sought after. Yes, because due to the continuous hybridizations between different species it has become difficult to find them! Some researchers went around the world to look for the true and pure Italian bee and, after years of research, they found it at the antipodes of our country: in New Zealand. The Italian immigrants had brought it with them and, since there were no other bees, they did not hybridize it. These bees show exceptional performance in honey production and are also the most docile! 2. Running into a swarm of bees isn't dangerous at all Bees are harmless animals and unlike wasps they are non-aggressive. They can sting only if they perceive a real danger, especially if towards the family. When the bees begin to swarm they are more docile, because they have filled their super sacs with food supplies and therefore, not being able to bend their abdomen, it is impossible for them to sting. On the contrary, however, if you come across a swarm that has already started nesting, you will have to be very careful. In fact, it is precisely in correspondence with the nests that the bees show more aggressive behavior: the bees patrol the entrance in order to ward off dangers and defend the family and obviously the queen bee. Never try to remove a bee nest yourself, rather contact a local beekeeper who will be happy to help!

3. Bees gave the idea of ​​mummies to the ancient Egyptians Symbol of diligence, courage and ingenuity, bees inspired many ancient peoples with their behavior, including the Egyptians who venerated them and drew many lessons from their social organization. In particular, it was the bees that inspired the Egyptians the mummification techniques. In fact, it must be known that every time a small animal such as a mouse or an insect enters a beehive, this is often and willingly killed by bees stinging it and not being able to transport it outside, to avoid dangerous phenomena of decomposition they cover it with propolis. Propolis, which is a powerful antibiotic, preserves the animal's body and practically transforms it into a mummy. This phenomenon had been observed since the ancient Egyptians who copied the idea to transform their pharaohs into mummies and used propolis as an ointment to bandage their mummies. 4. If necessary, bees are able to "steal" Who would have thought that industrious and diligent bees, when the need arises, are able to steal? Well, you must know that when resources are scarce, bees enter the weakest hives to steal honey! 5. Bees never sleep (almost) Several studies show that bees rather than sleep rest for short periods of time (even 30 seconds) without falling asleep completely. In practice, they relax and fall into a kind of trance: with age these micro-sleeps increase and become more regular. Even at night, in fact, the bees carry out various jobs: the maidservants look after the queen and feed her continuously because the laying of eggs never stops and the queen can easily lay even two thousand eggs in twenty-four hours! 6. The queen bee mates only once in her life During her life, the queen bee mates only once and she does so with about 12 lucky drones during her nuptial flight. However, mating has a small contraindication for drones: in fact, at the end of mating, the male bees remain emasculated and die! Those few who survive the report remain in the hive until autumn; then when the cold arrives, they are hunted by the same companions who cannot waste their honey reserves to feed them.

7. Fanno il giro del mondo!

Probabilmente non ve lo aspettereste mai per arrivare a produrre 1 kg di miele le api devono volare per circa 144.000 km, l’equivalente di tre giri e mezzo del mondo!

8. Bees know geometry! Besides being tireless workers, bees are also great calculators. Try to carefully observe how precisely the perfectly hexagonal cells that make up the honeycombs create. The choice is not accidental: the hexagonal shape, in fact, allows it to build the greatest number of cells in the least available space. Each cell fits with 6 others, making the whole structure solid and favoring the heat exchange generated by the larvae, maintaining a constant temperature in the rearing area. 9. What does Propolis mean? The name Propolis derives from the Greek πρόπολις, or pro = in front and polis = city, therefore literally "in front of the city". In a figurative sense, it obviously takes on the meaning of "defender of the city"; it is no coincidence, in fact, that bees usually use this substance precisely to reduce the entrance to the hive and therefore protect it from external dangers. 10. The secret language of bees Bees have an extraordinary and very complex communication ability! In fact, to exchange valuable information they perform a series of movements also known as the dance of the bees. Upon its return, an explorer bee performs a circular dance to communicate to the others that the source of nectar is nearby, while if the source is further away, the dance follows the shape of an "eight". Also, if it moves up from the circle, it means that the new source is in the direction of the sun; if on the contrary it cuts downwards, it means that you have to go in the opposite direction. Finally, if the dancing bee cuts the circle forming an angle, the others understand that they must fly to the right or to the left with respect to the sun, depending on the angle it makes with respect to an imaginary vertical line. Extraordinary and extremely effective