INSECTS

Talking about a DEPENDABLE partner in my previous post, let’s return to the quiet, golden-winged marvels: HONEYBEES. Long before our scholarly plant breeders earned their stripes, and the advent of genetically modified crops, honeybees had already taken an oath - not on paper, but in pollen - to feed the earth. Whether you’re Mr. Vegan or Miss Vegetarian, trust me, these winged saints have had your back all along, ensuring our delicacies persist.

Now, here's a fact that might have your eyebrows raised - honeybees can recognize individual human faces. Yes, you, reading this. They see you. With their compound eyes, made up of thousands of tiny lenses called ommatidia, they catch patterns the way we catch glances. Add to that their three simple eyes - the ocelli - that pick up ultraviolet light, and it’s safe to say they’ve been using a built-in filter before it became a social media trend.

And how do they share their latest pollen haul location? Not with GEN-WHAT voice notes or text messages, but through a form of interpretive movement art we call the “waggle dance.” It’s a dance of purpose - a figure-eight routine that speaks in angles, duration, and energy. They’re surprisingly swift too - zipping through the air at speeds up to 15 miles per hour. Impressive for such a small body, and perhaps a reminder not to judge power by size.

But not all things golden last. A worker bee’s life is short-lived, a few weeks of relentless service before fading into the background. Drones get a few months. The queen, well - she’s a powerhouse in her own right, living for a few years and laying up to 600,000 eggs within her prime. (And just so you know, the queen termite puts on a real show - living up to 20 years and producing about 10 million eggs a year. Makes you wonder - were the Chinese secretly studying her biology? LOL.)

But back to our darling bees - they don’t have it easy. Yellow jackets wasps and hornets, those rogue cousins in the insect world, are frequent invaders. They raid hives, kill larvae, steal honey, and sometimes trigger full-blown colony collapse. It’s a war out there in the world of pollinators - and our dependable partners are on the frontline with no armor, just wings and will.

So if nothing else, remember that these creatures - so vital, so vulnerable - deserve more than a passing glance. Like the parlance of a popular Nigerian hip-hop icon Davido, I’ll say it again: "we rise by lifting others". That includes the ones with six legs and a purpose that keeps your plate full still.

P.S. As an entomologist, my fascination with pest biocontrol continues to deepen, and I’m eager to explore its full potential in academic and practical spheres. Feel free to like, share, or reach out - because spreading awareness is one step closer to saving a hive.