Bees (Apiformes or Anthophila) are insects and belong to the hymenoptera. They are not only the oldest and smallest, but also one of the most important livestock we have: They pollinate 80% of our wild and agricultural plants - and have done so unaltered for about 40 million years!
It does not matter whether it is a honey bee, a wild bee, a state bee or a solitary bee. Worldwide, the number of bee species is estimated at about 20,000, of which about 700 species are native to Europe, and of those about 500 in Germany. Bees with stings - female bees - belong to the sting categories, while drones are stingless.

The honey bee (Apis) belongs to the group of state-forming insects, to which a queen, mainly workers and some drones belong. The system is exactly coordinated and the tasks are strictly distributed: Feeding the larvae, collecting nectar and pollen and producing honey, building honeycombs and cleaning, harvesting, dancing, guarding, laying eggs (queen) and fertilising the queen (drones).
Bees perform dances to communicate food sources to each other. The round dance - running in a circle and changing direction after one round - indicates a feeding place nearby. The wagtail dance, on the other hand, points to a more distant place. First the bee runs a little straight ahead and vibrates with its tail, then it returns to the starting point in a curve.

Since 2006 a bee death can be observed worldwide. There are many reasons for this. In addition to the Varroa mite introduced from Asia, pesticides, monoculture, fragmentation of habitats, increasing construction and probably also climate change are to be mentioned here. For example, long dry phases weaken the immune system of bees and make them more susceptible to diseases.

Our bee is busy, as you would expect. It collects nectar and pollen for the honey and likes to tell other bees where to find something. In between it likes to sit on a dandelion, inhales the scent and lets a fresh breeze blow through the wings.
Or it likes to crawl on the hand of its new owner, is very gentle and does not sting of course.

Length: 13 cm (~ 5.1")
Colour: Brown, light brown with white
Filling: Special polyester fibres and granules
Manufacturer: Kösener Spielzeug Manufaktur

The proceed of this sales will be donated to a children's charity organisation.