The Biggest Bee In The World, Thought To Be Extinct, Is Found Alive For First Time In 38 Years

Mar 04, 2019 by apost team

Honeybees are responsible for pollinating a lot of the crops that people rely on for food. From wheat to apples and raspberries to oranges, we would be left without a lot of our essential and favorite foods if bees suddenly disappeared.

Sadly, the use of insecticides, industrial farming, destruction of natural habitat and reduced planting of flowers has to lead to a decline in honeybee populations. A fungal disease has also made its way through many bee hives.

Some people are destructive to beehives, too. Recent cases of vandalism of on honeybee hives maintained by beekeepers have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of millions of honeybees.

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Wallace's giant bee is the largest bee ever known to humans. It has a wingspan of 2.5 inches, which is about 60 percent larger than the wingspan of a typical honeybee. These bees have not been seen in the wild since 1981. They have a spot on the list of the 25 species that scientists would like to see again.

Scientists have been looking high and low for Wallace's giant bee. On a recent expedition in the wild, photographer Clay Bolt saw a nest about eight feet off of the ground. He climbed a nearby tree in order to get a better view of the nest.

Bolt realized it was a bee's nest. He waited for hours, and alone Wallace's giant bee finally flew out. He managed to catch her in a tube for a brief amount of time. Her body is as long as Bolt's thumb.

The scientific community was thrilled. Bees are critical to the pollination of food crops that people all over the world rely on for their daily meals. Without bees, people would not have enough food to eat. Scientists are hoping that this news is a harbinger of good.

Do you do anything in order to create an environment to help honeybees thrive? Were you aware of the decline in honeybee populations around the world? Did you know about all of the plants that are pollinated by bees and what could happen if their numbers drop any lower? What do you think about the discovery made by these scientists? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure you let your friends and family know of this amazing discovery by passing this along to them!