How High Do Bees and Wasps Fly?
WouterUnlike other birds and insects, bees can fly high. They can also fly long distances. Bees can fly for up to tens of thousands of feet.
The ability of bees to fly is due to their adaptability. Bees can use their thorax movement to create a mini tornado under their wings. This helps them get the necessary lift.
Despite the fact that most flying animals cannot lift much above certain altitudes, bees can fly tens of thousands of feet. They can also fly at altitudes as high as nine kilometres. This is higher than Mount Everest.
The flight of bees and wasps depends on the type of food that is available in the area. The amount of air beneath the wings and the speed at which they flap them determine the height of their flight. If food is plentiful, bees may fly far and wide. But if they are looking for pollen, they will stay close to their hive.
The minimum temperature required for bees to fly is 54degF. At that temperature, they can only flap their wings at 235 beats per second. However, they can increase this frequency to 190 degrees.
Bumblebees are the source of the popular “bees can fly higher than Everest” rumor. However, there are other types of bees that can adapt to living in alpine locations. Nevertheless, scientists are only able to determine the flight performance of bees in laboratory experiments.
The mainstay of bees’ diet is pollen. If pollen is abundant, they will fly high in search of it. However, honey bees tend to stay close to their hives. This is because bees don’t need to fly far to find food.
