Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Beautiful Creatures: Bees


One day in the afternoon, I'd watched TV program which showed one of the most beautiful creatures in the world, Bees. Why is it beautiful? There are so many benefit from it, starting from the larva until its honey itself. Additionally, its behavior on how to build their house (honeycomb), to serve their queen, and make mutual-ism symbioses between one another very unique to be discussed too.

Bees are flying insect closely related to ants and wasps, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax (Wikipedia). Approximately 20k known species of bees in seven to nine recognized families. They live in every places where flowering-plants are available, except in Antarctica continent. They eat on nectar and pollen, primarily as an energy source that consist of protein and other nutrients. Mostly, pollen is used as food for baby bees (larvae). 


Here is the unique from bees! Bees consist of several caste that work according to the caste. They work exactly the same like ants and humans usually do, there is system inside the colony so they can complete the job awesomely without any jealousy one another. I can imagine how human work like that every day, our live will be very peaceful. 


Workers’s job is to find the nectar and pollen on flowering plants. This time, bees are doing multitask work. First, it does take the nectar and pollen for larvae in honeycomb and secondly it spreads the nectar in their feet to other flowers to make another “cross bred” (pollinating). That help flower to get natural insemination for making “fruits”. 'Workers' also make the honeycomb from fibrous part of wood + its enzyme, then going back to their nest to make it bigger by putting the fibrous + enzyme. It’s one of the action to serve their queen. LONG LIVE MY QUEEN! :)

I mentioned above that 'workers' only find and take the nectar + pollen. They can’t produce their own food. Then who are the chef of this emperor?? It’s LARVAE! Anyway, don’t judge the things by its size. Even though larvae is very small known as baby bees but larvae is the chef (they are good cooker). After larvae cook their food, they serve to the worker and queen. The good thing, it doesn’t waste their food like human. It saves some food in another bunker that 'workers' already made, it’s called HONEY. So, no more food wasted.

For your information

  • The temperature to make honeycomb is nearly fifty degrees Celsius (500 C), that’s why bees are using their wings to reduce temperature little bit down. 
  • Honey consist of ton of nutrients that human need in their live and to heal any illness. 
  •  Mostly bees are diurnal, active in the daylight. But there are four bees’ families (Andrenidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, and Apidae) that are nocturnal, active in the night. (Wikipedia).
  • Bees are humble and justice. They won’t attack you, if you don't disturb. If you attack them, they are willing to use their stings to entrust their live to defend their emperor. Once they sting, they will die.
  • Then why honeycomb has hexagonal shape? Because as I know, hexagonal is the best shape to preserve honey and not wasting place, meaning that its fit. 
  • Bees only attack your head ! WHY?? because bee detects carbon dioxide in our respiration system. So, when bees attack you, directly cover your head first and reduce your breathing.
Lastly, I’ve read quote from scholars but I forgot the name, maybe Imam Syafiie. 

“Live like a bee because they eat well, do well and produce good things”.

Eat well here is nectar and pollen from flowers, do well is pollinating to other flowers and lastly, produce good things are honey and bee pollen as medicine for human. Hey human, will you do the same??? Ask yourself!!

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