The World of bees

There are over 20,000 bee species worldwide.

There are over 20,000 bee species worldwide, including the honey bee, which originated in Eurasia and has been imported around the globe as a domesticated species. Wild bees species live on every continent except Antarctica. In North America there are approximately 4,000 native bee species occupying ecosystems from forests to deserts to grasslands.

Out of 267 species of bee in the UK, only 1 specie is the honey bee, and 25 species are bumblebees. They are social and live in colonies. The other 90% are Solitary Bees, with a whopping 240 species flying around!