Western Honey Bee for Kids Ages 6-8

Western Honey Bee

Apis, a Western Honey Bee, tells her story about life in a hive. She explains her first jobs, like cleaning the honeycomb, and her later job of collecting nectar and pollen. She performs a 'waggle dance' to show other bees where to find flowers, a language figured out by a human in 1973. Apis also shares that her ancestors were brought to North America in 1622. Her most important job is pollination, which helps plants grow fruits and seeds for everyone to eat.

Introduced to North America c. 1622

Named by Carl Linnaeus 1758

Karl von Frisch wins Nobel Prize 1973

The Story of Apis the Honey Bee

Hi there! My name is Apis, and I'm a Western Honey Bee. I want to tell you my story. I was born inside a warm, buzzing hive with thousands of my sisters. As soon as I hatched from my tiny egg, I had important jobs to do. My first tasks were cleaning our honeycomb home and feeding the baby bees. Our whole colony works together like a big family, and we are led by our amazing mother, the queen bee.

When I was old enough, I finally got to fly outside! The world was so big and full of bright colors and sweet smells. My most important job became finding flowers filled with a sweet juice called nectar. I use my long, straw-like tongue to sip it all up. I also gather fuzzy yellow pollen in special baskets on my legs to bring back to the hive. When I find a whole field of yummy flowers, I fly back home and do a special 'waggle dance'. This dance is like a secret treasure map that tells my sisters exactly where to go! A very clever human named Karl von Frisch figured out our dance language and even won a special award for it in 1973.

My ancestors were great travelers. European honey bees were introduced to North America in the early 1600s. We have been helping plants grow there ever since! Back in my hive, all of my sisters and I work together to turn the nectar I collect into delicious honey. We store the honey in our wax honeycombs so we have plenty of food to eat during the cold winter. Sometimes, it can be hard for us to find enough flowers, but many kind people help by planting bee-friendly gardens for us to visit.

My work is more than just making honey. Every time I land on a flower, I'm helping it make fruits and seeds. That’s called pollination! Because of me and my sisters, you can enjoy tasty foods like apples, strawberries, and almonds. We may be small, but together we do a giant job that helps keep our world healthy and delicious. By helping us, you help the whole world bloom!