Missouri’s known for a whole lot of things – from its 6,400 caves to the world’s largest fork, rocking chair, and toilet paper roll. What many people might not know is our beloved state is well-known for its honeybees, the official insect of Missouri. Here are just a few things you should know about Missouri’s honeybees.

The honeybee became the official state insect on July 3, 1985, with a swipe of the pen by then-Governor John Ashcroft.
Flickr/Greg Zenitsky
Honeybees, pollinators of plants (and crops), play a significant role in our society. Unfortunately, in the past 40 years, the population of honeybees has decreased at an alarming rate in both North America and in Europe.
Flickr/studio tdes
Some experts, in fact, assert that if honeybees go extinct, humans won’t be far behind. Honeybees are essential in pollinating a large assortment of crops – apples and melons, for example.
Flickr/Katina Rogers
Almonds completely rely on honeybees to pollinate them, according to the American Beekeeping Federation. Other crops like cherries and blueberries are 90 percent dependent on bees for pollination.
Flickr/westpark
Consider it in financial terms, too. The Missouri Department of Conservation asserts that $15 billion in crops are 100 percent dependent on pollination by honeybees.

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However, it’s not just crops that rely heavily on honeybees. Animals need plants. Without the honeybees to pollinate the plants, some animals wouldn’t have anything to eat.
Flickr/Brad Smith
Honeybees are tiny with the worker bees measuring a half of an inch to 5/8 of an inch. Only the queen and male bees (drones) are bigger than the worker bees.
Flickr/Amy
A single queen bee reproduces an entire colony of bees, and it is in the hive that the offspring's future is determined. Some female bees, for example, will become queen bees while others will be sterile working bees, which is decided based on the diet they are fed.
Flickr/Elliott Plack
Learn more about honeybees, including lifespan and the development of new colonies.
Flickr/Jennifer C.

Did you know that honeybees are the official insect of Missouri? Join the conversation in the comments! Have you spotted these four out-of-place creatures in Missouri yet?

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