They are crucial to growing many of our favorite and healthiest foods as they move pollen from plant to plant, pollinating more than 100 fruits and vegetables, including strawberries, potatoes and apples.
Unfortunately, many bee species are under threat as a result of changes in land use, pesticides, intensive agriculture and climate change — but there are steps you can take to help them thrive.
In honour of World Bee Day on May 20, here are six surprising things you might not know about nature’s hardest-working pollinators.