~ eTwinning project: To BEE or not to BEE ~ OŠ Slivnica pri Celju, Slovenia

1. WILD BEES OF SLOVENIA

2. As pollinators of
numerous plants,
bees are indispensable
for the survival of
terrestrial ecosystems.

3. Their predecessors
were wasps, which
substituted animal
prey for pollen and
nectar from flowers
of the flowering
plants.

4. Plants discharge
nectar in their flowers
for the very purpose
to attract pollinators,
and as pollen is a
protein-rich nutrient,
it suffices for the
development of the
bees' offspring.

5. IN SLOVENIA,
562 wild bee
species
have been registered
so far, most of them
living a solitary life.

6. Every female makes the
nest by herself and takes
care of the food
necessary for her
descendants.
Bees are distinguishable
from each other by their
life habits and
adaptation to their plant
hosts.

7. They are from 3 mm
to 2.5 cm (the size
reached by the giant
carpenter bee) long.

8. Wild bees are at risk of
extinction due to the
lack of bee fauna,
insecticide use and
habitat destruction.

9. We can help the wild
bees by providing nest
sites for them, i.e.
hollow stems (e.g. old
bamboo canes), holes
drilled into blocks of
wood, bricks with holes
…

10. BUILDING THE SCHOOL'S INSECT HOTEL:

13. A solitary bee
pollinates as much as
two bumblebees, a
bumblebee pollinates
as much as 60
domestic honey bees.

14. A solitary bee pollinates as much as 120 domestic honey bees.

15. LET'S PLANT BEE-FRIENDLY PLANTS IN THE GARDEN!

16. MORE INFO:
• http://www2.pms-lj.si/andrej/bees.htm,
IMAGE SOURCE:
• http://www2.pms-lj.si/andrej/hylang.htm,
• http://www2.pms-lj.si/andrej/apoidea.htm,
VIDEO

17. SOURCE
• http://www2.pms-lj.si/andrej/bees.htm
Images:
Marjana Kladnik
Renata Mastnak