Task 3: 2nd Class: Biodiversity and the honey bees

Bees gather nectar and pollen from flowers and store it as honey.

A hive of bees flies 90,000km to gather pollen for 500g of honey,

Bees pollinate wild flowers and crops.

In Bandonbridge we are friends of the bees.

We have as many wild flowers, bushes, hedges and trees as we can keep, in the school grounds.

We understand that we need bees for biodiversity.

When we grow up we want to enjoy a planet with plenty of foods and lush greenery.

We are glad we learned about bees so that we can begin to protect them.

We will watch out for bees every day now.

Role of the Bee:

• Let’s take a look on the role a little bee has on the nature balance pyramid. In Ireland, we have 21 different types of Bumblebee, 77 solitary bee species, and just one honeybee, which Beekeepers take care of. Sometimes humans fear the sting of bees. But the good news is that our wild beesbumblebees and solitary bees have no interest in humans and are very unlikely to sting.

• Bees play an important role in pollinating all types of plants which include flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables, as well as many of our wildflowers and trees. A bee flies around to feed on nectar and collect pollen from flowers to bring back to its nest to feed to the baby bees. As it flies from flower to flower, pollen falls off and this is how flowers are pollinated, producing fruits and seeds for new plants to grow! If we lose the bees, the plants cannot grow and many of the global human population will have less fruits, nuts and vegetables to enjoy and these foods will become more expensive.