World Bee Day: The Hidden Secrets of the Hive

Bees are extraordinary creatures. It's not surprising, therefore, that on 20th May, every year, we celebrate World Bee Day. These tiny, hardworking insects are often taken for granted and yet their role in our survival is paramount. Bees sustain biodiversity and help our countryside burst into life each spring and summer.

Did you know? There are over 20,000 different species of bees worldwide. According to Greenpeace, we have about 270 varieties in the UK, and they pollinate 80% of our wildflowers. They also pollinate crops. In fact, the UN Environment Programme states that a third of the world's food production relies on bees! Maybe every day should be World Bee Day!

As you can tell, I'm a bee enthusiast. I have been an apiarist (beekeeper) since 1992, long before I created and launched Bees Delights. My love of bees began when I was just seven years old. A neighbour had some hives, and I was mesmerised by them. So today, in honour of World Bee Day, I am going to share my passion with you, the hidden secrets of the hive, and why I set up my natural skincare business.

Why is World Bee Day so Important?

Without bees, our landscapes would look dramatically different. Despite this, however, bee populations face increasing pressures from habitat loss, pesticides, disease, and changing climate conditions. Consequently, organisations across Wales and throughout the world continue to work together to protect bee populations and encourage more sustainable bee-friendly environments.

That is why World Bee Day is so important. It is not only a celebration of bees; it's a call to action. Naturally, we do not expect everyone to suddenly become apiarists and set up their own hives (although if you are interested in doing this, I'd recommend visiting the British Beekeepers Association website for help and advice), but small actions matter.

You can help bees thrive by:

• Planting pollinator-friendly flowers - even in small spaces, like window boxes and balconies

• Avoid using harmful chemicals

• If you have a lawn, join the 'No Mow May' movement - it allows wildflowers to grow, providing essential food sources for pollinators like bees and butterflies. (Learn more on the Plantlife website here)

• Have a source of water in your garden, like a bird bath, for example

• Support ethical beekeepers and sustainable businesses providing homes for honey bees.

World Bee Day needs your support for these incredible creatures now and for future generations. Still not convinced? Then come on a journey with me...

The Hidden Secrets of the Hive

Beyond the honey jars, beeswax, and cheerful buzzing in flower-filled gardens lies a remarkable world hidden inside the hive. It's a world built on teamwork, precision, intelligence, and an astonishing connection with nature. Bees live a peaceful yet purposeful life in their hive:

Nature's Most Extraordinary Superorganism

One of the most astonishing things to discover about a hive is that it does not behave like tens of thousands of individual insects. On the contrary, it behaves like one living, breathing superorganism.

Every bee is connected to the survival of the colony. Worker bees communicate through vibration, scent, and even dancing! Yes, bees dance to share information. When a forager bee discovers a rich source of nectar or pollen, she returns to the hive and performs what is known as the 'waggle dance'. Through a series of precise movements, she tells other bees the exact direction and distance of the flowers relative to the sun. Scientists still regard this as one of the most remarkable communication systems in the natural world.

So, this World Bee Day, think about these incredible, tiny creatures and their awesome navigational abilities, sophisticated enough to travel miles from the hive and still return home with pinpoint accuracy.

Bees Can Recognise Human Faces

Let me shock you with another fascinating World Bee Day fact: honey bees can actually recognise patterns that resemble human faces.

Many people think of bees as simple insects, but research shows that they are capable of surprisingly advanced behaviour. They have impressive memories and can remember rewarding flower locations for days. Some studies even suggest that bees learn from one another and solve simple problems.

As an experienced apiarist, I've learned to notice different personalities and behaviours over time. A calm hive feels entirely different from a stressed one. Bees respond to weather, scents, vibrations, and even the mood of the beekeeper handling them. In my opinion, there is a quiet intelligence inside every hive that completely changes the way you see the natural world.

The Queen Bee’s Astonishing Life

The queen bee is one of the most fascinating creatures in the hive. Queens are created, not born. Any female larva can become a queen, as long as they are fed exclusively on nutrient-rich royal jelly. This single dietary difference completely transforms her development, lifespan, and role in the hive. While worker bees may live only a few weeks during the summer, a queen can survive for several years!

At the height of summer, a healthy queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs a day, which is more than her own body weight! However, despite her importance, she never really rules the hive in the way people often imagine. In reality, the worker bees control much of what happens within the hive, including when the queen should be replaced.

Bees Keep the Hive at a Perfect Temperature

World Bee Day is also about education, so here's another fascinating insight: the hive has its own astonishing climate control system.

Honeybees maintain the brood nest at around 35°C almost constantly, even when outdoor temperatures change dramatically. If the hive becomes too hot, worker bees fan their wings in unison to circulate air like tiny living fans. Bees will also collect water and spread droplets inside the hive to create their own form of air conditioning, known as evaporative cooling. (There's a great article about this on the Beelistener website here.)

In winter, bees survive freezing temperatures by clustering tightly together and vibrating their flight muscles to generate warmth.

The Wax Makers of the Hive

It is fascinating to see fresh beeswax being built. Young worker bees produce tiny flakes of wax from special glands underneath their abdomen. They chew the wax until it becomes soft enough to mould, then they form it into the perfect hexagonal honeycomb structure. The geometry of honeycomb is mindboggling. The hexagon is one of the most efficient shapes found in nature, using the least amount of wax while creating maximum strength and storage space.

Now, I have about twenty hives during a good season, and I harvest a portion of the beeswax to put into my natural beauty products. Therefore, next time you use one of my moisturisers or balms, remember the incredible story of teamwork, instinct, and natural engineering that went into this special ingredient.

Why Do We Use Natural Beeswax in Products?

For centuries, beeswax has been treasured for its versatility. Historically, it was used in candles, medicines, balms, and skin preparations, long before synthetic ingredients existed.

As an apiarist, I quickly became fascinated with not only the honey produced by bees, but the incredible quality of the wax produced by my hives. Unlike mass-produced ingredients shipped around the world, my beeswax comes directly from the bees I care for myself. I know exactly where it comes from, how it has been handled, and the environment in which the bees forage.

When I started creating our skincare products, I wanted them to reflect the same principles I valued in beekeeping: simplicity, purity, and respect for nature. That became the foundation of my business, Bees Delights.

I like to think on World Bee Day that my thriving business is helping to balance our ecosystems, not just because I care for so many bees, but because my products are produced ethically, too.

Natural Beauty Products for People that Care

Events like World Bee Day and The Great Big Green Week continue to encourage people to be more self-aware of their impact on the planet. Thankfully, consumers are increasingly searching for eco-friendly, sustainable and natural alternatives to heavily processed beauty products. Beeswax is now especially valued because of its natural protective and moisturising properties.

Unlike synthetic ingredients, beeswax helps create a breathable barrier on the skin without clogging pores. It helps lock in moisture while leaving skin feeling soft and protected. Its rich texture makes it ideal for creams, balms, and moisturisers.

Supporting Small Businesses and Sustainable Choices

World Bee Day is also a wonderful opportunity to think about where we shop and who we support.

Supporting small businesses means you are promoting real people, real craftsmanship, and genuine passion. Small independent makers, like us, focus on quality, sustainability, and ethical production.

We are so lucky to live in Wales. The Welsh countryside provides beautiful forage for bees, from wildflowers to hedgerows and flowering trees. There is a long tradition of beekeeping in Wales too, dating back centuries, with historic bee boles and honey fairs forming part of our Welsh heritage.

By supporting small Welsh businesses like Bees Delights, customers are not only choosing eco-friendly natural products, they are also helping preserve traditional skills, sustainable practices, and local enterprise.

Spend Time in Nature This World Bee Day

One of the unexpected joys of becoming an apiarist is how connected you become to the seasons and the environment around you. I'm lucky enough to live on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. I notice which flowers bloom in the hedgerows, and I pay attention to the rainfall, warm spells, and when the nectar begins to flow.

Bees, watching them, or caring for them, reconnect us with the rhythms of nature in a busy, disconnected world. So, this World Bee Day, take some time out of your day to watch the bees in your garden, your local park, or on wildflowers along the pavement. Watching bees at work teaches patience and a respect for nature.

Celebrate World Bee Day

Finally, this World Bee Day, I want you to take a lesson from the hive. Bees waste nothing. Every part of the hive has a purpose. That mindset influences everything I create, from the ingredients I use to the way the products are packaged. Imagine how much cleaner our world would be if we all followed that philosophy.

So this World Bee Day, take a moment to appreciate the hidden secrets of the hive. Behind every bee is a remarkable story of teamwork, resilience and natural wonder. And behind every handmade beeswax cream or balm lies the dedication of the beekeeper who cared for those bees in the first place.

At Bees Delights, that connection between bees, nature and skincare remains at the centre of everything we do, from our Welsh hives to the natural products lovingly made by hand. If you would like to celebrate World Bee Day by browsing our products and learning for yourself how amazing they are for your skin, then please feel free to visit our online shop here.