Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea. They are presently considered a clade, called Anthophila. There are over 16,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families. Some species ââ¬â including honey bees, bumblebees, and stingless bees ââ¬â live socially in colonies while some species ââ¬â including mason bees, carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees ââ¬â are solitary.
workers honey bees forage for food, consuming as much nectar from each flower as they can. After foraging, worker honey bees return to the hive and pass the collected nectar to another worker. This worker holds the nectar on her tongue until the liquid evaporates, creating honey.
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