DAW: Day 3 Honey Bee
DAW? Dangerous Animals Week, of course! To celebrate our new Dangeroz app (available in the App Store Tuesday) we’re featuring a different Aussie creature each day...
DangerOz will be available to download from the App Store on Tuesday, 20th September
© Australian Museum
A compelling fact about bees is that they caused more deaths over a twenty-year period than spiders and marine animals, according to Australian Venom Research Unit’s Facts and Figures. A bee sting can kill because of the anaphylactic reaction some people can have.
The Honey Bee is quite diverse in colour, but usually they are brown with a banded, dull-yellow-and-brown abdomen. Hair densely covers the head, thorax and abdomen. The legs and around the eyes are also hairy.
Honey Bees play an important role as pollinators of crops and wild flowers. European settlers originally introduced the species to ensure a good supply of honey. Certain wild flowers have suffered from their presence, however, as only native bees can pollinate these.
While their behaviour is sometimes described as aggressive, Honey Bees are usually just trying to protect their hive or themselves. If a Honey Bee is driven to sting, the act is fatal as it rips out the bee’s lower abdomen.
So when out and about this spring, remember: be alert, and if you come across a swarm of bees be sure not to approach!
Quick Facts –
- We rate this animal as a 9/10 Danger Rating.
- Honey Bees live in urban areas, forests, woodlands and heath.
Interested to finding out more on Honey Bees? Download DangerOz on Tuesday.
