The Ultimate Bee Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
The Ultimate Bee Quiz
Image: Sumiko Scott/Moment/Getty Images

About This Quiz

There's something both sweet and frightening about bees. That they sting is and fly in swarms, frightens many people, but then there is all that honey. What is it about bees that we find so interesting? Take our quiz to learn more about these delightful honey makers.
What do bees feed on?
pollen and nectar
insects
dead animals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The diet of a bee consists primarily of pollen and nectar; they rely on the honey they produce during the winter months, when there isn't any nectar or pollen around.

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Approximately how many species of bees are there in the world?
1000
5000
10000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are over 10,000 recorded species of bees, which differ in size, color, and social habits, among other things.

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The oldest bee fossils date back to when?
8 million years
80 million years
800 million years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Scientists have found fossils of bees from more than 80 million years ago.

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What is the average size of the largest species of bee?
1 1/2 inch long
3 inches long
6 inches long
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The world's largest species of bee, Chalicodoma pluto, is about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) long.

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About how many bees live in one colony?
10000
50000
100000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A colony of bees can house as many as 50,000 members, which makes bees among the most socially cooperative insects in the world.

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The world's smallest bees measure how long?
1/2 inch
1/8 inch
1/12 inch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The smallest bees in the world, Trigona minima, averages less than 1/12 of an inch, which is just two millimeters.

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At what speed to worker bees fly?
5 miles per hour
10 miles per hour
15 miles per hour
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Worker bees can reach speeds of up to 15 miles per hour, which is quite impressive considering the size of their wings.

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How many bees does it take to make one pound of honey?
three
10
25
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It takes 10 bees to collect enough nectar to produce one pound of honey. When you consider how much honey is on the market, you realize that's an astounding number of bees.

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A bee's body is divided into how many parts?
three
five
seven
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bees and all other insects have a body made of three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen.

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To which section of a bee's body are it's legs and wings attached?
the head
the thorax
the abdomen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Attached to a bee's thorax are a pair of wings, and three pairs of legs.

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Stingers evolved from an organ known as what?
ovipositor
hemothorax
proboscis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bees stingers evolved from an organ known as an ovipositor, which was originally used to lay eggs.

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Why are bumblebees able to sting repeatedly?
They have many stingers.
They have a stinger with no barbs.
They break off small pieces of their stinger each time they sting something.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most bees have a barbed stinger, which means that the stinger will get stuck inside it's victim. The stinger of a bumblebee has no barbs, so the bee can easily pull it out and use it again.

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What do bees use to collect pollen?
its tongue
its hair
its legs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A bee's body is covered with fine hairs, which collect pollen when they come into contact with it.

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The period of growth and development through which bees go is called what?
adolescence
gestation
metamorphosis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bees and other insects develop into adults by a process known as metamorphosis, during which they turn from larva to pupa to adult.

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How long does the metamorphosis of a worker bee last?
three days
three weeks
three months
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The average worker bee will complete it's metamorphosis in just 21 days.

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What is the lifespan of a worker bee?
six to eight weeks
six to eight months
six to eight years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The average worker bee lives around six to eight weeks.

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What are the three types of bees found in a colony?
king, queen, and drones
king, commoners, and workers
queen, drones, and workers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most bee colonies are made up of three types of bees: queens, drones, and workers. As with other types of insects, bees have no kings.

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How many flowers do honey bees visit per day?
100
1000
10000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Honey bees are extremely active, visiting over 1,000 flowers per day. It is worth noting, however, that they remain loyal to a particular flower type for their entire lives.

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What is the only social bee native to North America?
the bumblebee
the carpenter bee
the mason bee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Only bumblebees are indigenous to North America. The other species of bees were imported, mostly from Europe, beginning in the 17th century, to bolster the honey market.

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Which species of bee has no worker class?
the carpenter bee
the mason bee
the solitary bee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The solitary bee has a different social order than other bees. They have fully developed males and females, rather than queens, drones, and workers.

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You Got:
/20
Sumiko Scott/Moment/Getty Images