We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

How Many Species are There?

Updated: Jun 04, 2024
Views: 4,008
Share

There are more species of bees than of mammals and birds combined — more than 20,000 and counting as scientists discover more. There are only about 5,500 species of mammals and about 10,000 species of birds. Bee populations in North America are undergoing a huge decline because of something called colony collapse disorder, an unexplained phenomenon in which worker bees simply disappear from a colony, causing it to collapse.

More facts about bees:

  • Queen bees can lay up to 2,500 eggs per day. They lay the most eggs in the summer, when the hive needs to be at full capacity.

  • It is legal to mail bees. The U.S. Postal Service accepts "bee mail" from most places in the world, although packages of bees do have special charges placed on them.

  • The average honeybee's wings stroke almost 12,000 times a minute.
Share

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By Chmander — On Jan 28, 2014

@Viranty - It's funny you should mention your fear of bees, as that's perfectly understandable, especially since it happened during your childhood. I know plenty of people who have phobias that developed from when they were young. In my opinion, I think the reason why it can be hard to get over an unsettling childhood experience is because of the mentality children have.

When adults experience events in life, they're able to rationalize with them more, realizing that those things are going to happen. However, with kids, it's a completely different story. Unsettling events are something children don't normally expect. Good or bad, what happens to us during a young age shapes us and eventually molds us into who we are.

By RoyalSpyder — On Jan 28, 2014

@Viranty - I have a similar fear as well. I'm afraid of wasps, although I wouldn't say my fear is "irrational". They are far more aggressive than bees, and will sting you just because they can. As an example, one time, I was outside enjoying a nice picnic. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain on my leg, and realized that I had been stung by a wasp (I saw it fly off).

It made me wonder what I had did to provoke it. Not only did I come to the conclusion that wasps are easily provoked, but unlike bees (who lose their stingers once they've stung a person), wasps can attack you as much as they want.

By Viranty — On Jan 27, 2014

In all honesty, I have a very irrational fear of bees. I understand how important they are to nature, but I still don't care for them regardless. One thing I really dislike about bees is how they have a tendency to sting so much, sometimes for almost no reason at all. In fact, my dislike stems from a childhood experience, which I'd rather not go into detail about.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-many-species-are-there.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.