May 20, every year, is celebrated as World Bee Day- not because it is a special date for the bees but in remembrance of Slovenian beekeeper Anton Jansa (1734-1773).

Jansa, who was born on May 20, 1734, is regarded as the pioneer of modern beekeeping and one of the most important authorities in the subject of bees.

World Bee Day is celebrated to spread awareness of the threats that bees face due to human activities.

The day also intends to make people aware of the vital role that these little buzzing creatures play in the ecosystem.

The main purpose behind the observance of this day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators in the ecosystem.

Every year the day is based on a theme and the theme of World Bee Day 2021 Bee Engaged: Build Back Better for Bees.

Through this theme, the UN intends to emphasise creating a favourable environment for bees to thrive.

Moreover, the UN also takes into account the protection threats posed to the bees by the ongoing Covid pandemic.

Why are bees important for the survival of the human race?

Bees are the biggest pollinators and if bees were wiped off from the Earth, then the entire ecosystem of the world would crumble. There would be no crop breeding!

The UN approved the celebration of the day in December 2017 and the first World Bee Day was celebrated in 2018.  This is the fourth World Bee Day celebration this year.

It may be mentioned here that every country celebrates World Bee Day on May 20, except the United States of America.

The USA celebrates National Honey Bee Day on the third Saturday of August.

Bees are a wonderful gift of nature. Here a few facts about bees for your knowing-

1. Around 20,000 species of bees exist in the world
2. Bees reside in colonies
3. Each colony features the Queen bee, the worker bees, and the drone
4. The Queen bee and workers are females
5. Only the Queen bee reproduces
6. Drones are all males
7. Worker bees clean the beehive, collect pollen and nectar, and care for the offspring
8. Drone bees are there only for mating purpose with the Queen bee
9. The only thing Queen bee does is to lay eggs
10. Bees can a particular colour, which humans cannot see. It is a blend of yellow colour and ultraviolet light. Scientists call it “bee’s purple"
11. An average bee makes a 12th of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime
12. Bees follow democracy. They debate while choosing a new home. Each scout gets an equal platform. Each bee present in the colony performs its own research and there is voting at the end. The Queen bee stays impartial