It’s easy to joke about how male bees are only good for one thing. But on this Father’s Day, let’s take a closer look at how and why these fellows are an essential part of our ecosystem!
My Bee , My Choice: Because bees are haploid organisms (having only one set of chromosomes), bee moms can choose the sex of the eggs they lay–fertilized eggs will become females, and unfertilized eggs will be male.
Who’s Who: Males generally have more body segments and antenna segments than females, and many species of males also sport contrasting patches on their faces. In some species male bees are larger, but in others, they are smaller than females. Since they have no ovipositor (egg-laying organ), male bees do not have stingers.
Moving On: While newly hatched female bees often return to the old neighborhood to create their own nests, males have no fixed abode–they sleep in flowers in a protected place.
Cruisin’: Many species of male bees gather in “congregation areas’ to wait for the ladies. In the case of honey bee drones, these gatherings take place in the air; in other species, the guys prefer to hang out on flowers or near nesting areas.
What Are They Good For? Of course, mating is their most essential function–after all, without them, the population could not endure. And while they don’t collect pollen deliberately as females do, they visit flowers to drink nectar, and thus serve as pollinators as well.
So thanks, dad bees, for helping to keep our world turning–whether you mean to or not!
Photo: © Heather Holm
