Jason E. Andersen

One morning over the weekend, my wife noticed that there were a bunch of bees and other insects clinging about in our backyard prairie. It was a pretty cool morning, down into the high-50’s. Various insects were in low power mode, hanging on to the undersides of flowers and other surfaces. Most of them were completely motionless and seemed to rouse as the morning went along. I took the opportunity to do some bee photography.

While invading their privacy by photographing them, I wondered about the reason for their sluggishness. This begged the question, do bees sleep?

Bonus Fun Fact: Yes, bees do sleep. It’s not just a state of sluggish movement or inactivity from being out in the cold (although this may apply to many insects). For bees, it’s actual sleep. Like us, they sleep at night when foraging is more difficult and for several hours at a time. They often cling to the undersides of flowers and leaves to protect themselves from the weather, or shelter in nests, if that’s their thing. One article I read suggested that bees may even dream while sleeping. We are all more alike than you might think.