That’s quite some time for optimising every basic process, from cleaning their cells to defending themselves from unwanted guests like hornets. There are so many things we can learn from these fascinating creatures that are nature’s epitome of a Perpetuum mobile.

For, honey bees never stop working; they never wait for their manager to give them directions when they are done with a specific task since they don’t have one and they don’t even need it. They just function flawlessly as one whole super-organism, each and every one of them, the worker bees, the cleaners, the water bringers, the drones, and, of course, the queen bee. They don’t need team buildings to become a better team, no additional bonuses to pollinate, no supervisors to make sure that the job is done, no trainings to know what they are supposed to do. They just do it.

Sadly, not only that we are not learning from them, but we have been getting in their way. By developing monocultures, relying on neonicotinoids, exposing them to poor nutrition and eventually disrupting their immune system, people have been gradually chasing them away. And with them gone, there will be no apples, no almonds, no blueberries, no dairy products and many more. “Bees dying reflect a flowerless landscape and a dysfunctional food system.” warns us Marla Spivak, a distinguished entomology professor at the University of Minnesota.

So, what can we do? We can all make small steps in order to save them. We can support our local market by purchasing their produce. We can plant a flower or even an avocado tree on our balcony. Or, why not even host our own urban hive?

Honey bees represent the essential reproductive mechanism of nature and have been boosting our well-being in the form of honey, honey milk, propolis, and much more since the beginning of our existence. It’s about time we gave some of that love back. Because love is the best way to describe what is occurring when a bee pollinates a flower.

Tell us what you think! How do you feel about saving those tiny fuzzy fellars?