Bee

I’m a bee, and I’m collecting pollen for my nest!
My larvae (the little bees that will hatch from the eggs) will eat it. We bees need flowers, but many plants need us! Indeed, we can carry pollen from one flower to another, allowing for pollination and the production of fruits and seeds. When you eat an apple, it’s also thanks to our work! Without bees, many plants could disappear, and the world would be a very different and sad place!
The most famous bee is the honeybee, but there are so many others! In Italy, there are more than a thousand different species! Some live in colonies, like bumblebees, while others are solitary. There are bees larger than a cherry, like the violet carpenter bee, and bees smaller than a grain of rice. Some make their nests in the ground, while others in cavities in wood. 
Every bee has a story to tell, and all are important!

Focus: The witch bee: Osmia bicolor
This bee nests in empty snail shells. It then hides them with strands of grass, which it carries while flying. It looks as if it’s flying on a broomstick, just like a witch!