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Line 1: − A small insect that helps pollinate flowers and produces honey. Also possesses a [[stinger]] which can be used for defense.+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
→Bee Decline
[[File:Bee.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|Honeybee]]
'''Bees''' are a type of flying [[insect]] classified as similar to [[ant]]s and [[wasp]]s, all of the order Hymenoptera. They are an important pollinator of [[flower]]ing [[plant]]s, and vital to commercial growers in the [[United States]]. Many species of bees produce [[honey]].
==Bee genetics==
Unfertilized eggs laid by a queen bee contain 50% of her [[gene]]s in different combinations. These eggs develop into male bees (drones) that have one copy of each [[chromosome]]. All [[sperm]] produced by a drone are identical [[clone]]s.
Fertilized eggs laid by a queen bee develop into female bees (workers). These have two copies of each chromosome – one from the queen and one from the male who fertilized her.
Queens mate with 10-20 drones, so bee colonies are a mixture of subfamilies with the same mother but different fathers.
This means that workers in the same subfamily are related by 75% of their genes. They are therefore more closely related to their sisters than to their own offspring, who would only have 50% of their genes.
==Bee Decline==
[[Albert Einstein]] wrote, "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left." <ref>[http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=38449 Einstein warned of bee deaths] Free Market News, April 11, 2007</ref> Because of their vital role as pollinators, bees are responsible for 15 to 30 percent of the food U.S. consumers eat. However, in recent years there has been a steep decline in the population of bees, and some scientists claim that unless this is arrested the supply of some fruits and vegetables may also decline.<ref>http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1005_041005_honeybees.html</ref>
This decline is considered to be the result of diseases such as the varroa mite and other parasites, and the widespread practice of spraying crops with pesticides. Some [[liberal]] [[activist]]s have asserted that the increased use of genetically modified crops may have a role to play, but the evidence for that is not there. Another theory, cellular phone signals may be interfering with bee populations.<ref>[http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/04/cell_phones_bees.html Cell Phones Linked to Bee Decline] Consumer Reports, April 16, 2007</ref>
[[File:Bee bonnets.jpg|thumbnail|center|400px|Bee keeping bonnet.]]
{{Clear}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
*[https://creation.com/bee-postman The bee and the postman] by [[Creation Ministries International]]
[[Category:Insects]]
[[Category:Gardening Glossary]]
[[Category:Permaculture]]