Bees are flying insects and are closely related to wasps and ants. They are therefore noted for their role in the pollination of crops. Bees are generally classified as follows;
Kingdom - Animalia
Class - Insect
Order - Hymenoptera.
Clade - Anthophila.
There are several species such as honey bees, mason bees, stingless bees, bumble bees and live socially in colonies. In agro- ecosystems, pollinators like bees are essential for orchard, horticultural and forage crops .Bees are solitary in nature or may live in various types of communities.
Pollinators such as bees, bats, birds affects 35% with majority being bees and thus play a vital role in sustaining the planet's ecosystem. Some 84% of the crops grown for human consumption needs bees or other insects to pollinate them to increase their yield and quality.
A team of researchers at the University of Carlifornia- Santa Barbara released a study showing that most of the nutritional diversity in the human diet comes from foods that are fundamentally pollinated by bats and insects such as bees.
However, bee pollination is important both ecologically and commercially. The decline in wild bees has increased the value of pollination by commercially managed hives of honey bees.
Apiculture which refers to bee cultivation has been in practice for ages, at least in the times of Ancient Egypt and Greece.
Aside honey and pollination, they equally produce bee wax, royal jelly and propolis which serve as a source of income when marketed. Honey is equally used as medicine for the treatment of cough, eaten as food and as such serve the dual role.
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