Florida Bees Slides
2nd Grade Science Explorer
Sunshine State Wildlife
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Florida Bees!
Meet the Fuzzy, Buzzing Pollinators of the Sunshine State
Get ready to explore Florida's wild buzz!
Insect Anatomy
What Makes a Bee a Bee?
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3 Body Parts
Head, thorax, and abdomen! All true insects have three main sections.
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6 Legs & 4 Wings
Two pairs of wings beat super fast so bees can zip through Florida air!
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Fuzzy Coats
Electrostatic fuzzy hairs act like tiny magnets for yellow flower pollen!
Fun Fact: Bees have special pollen baskets on their hind legs!
Sunshine State Diversity
Over 300 Kinds of Florida Bees!
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Native Neighbors
Florida has over 300 wild native bee species that were buzzing here long before cities and farms!
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Warm All Year
Because Florida stays sunny and warm, many bees stay active across all four seasons.
300+ Native Species
1,000s Of Flowers Visited Daily
#1 Nature Helpers
Meet The Locals
Two Florida Native Superstars
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Jewel of the Garden
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Metallic Green Sweat Bee
Shines like a sparkling green emerald! It is tiny, gentle, and loves drinking drops of moisture on hot Florida days.
✨ Super trait: Ultra shiny metallic color!
Fuzzy Giant
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American Bumblebee
Big, fluffy, and striped with bright yellow and black! It vibrates its wings to shake pollen out of stubborn flowers.
⚡ Super trait: Performs buzz pollination!
Both of these bees live wild across Florida backyards, parks, and pine flatwoods!
Citrus & Honey
Florida's Sweet Honeybees!
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Orange Groves
In springtime, millions of sweet white orange blossom flowers open across central Florida!
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Orange Blossom Honey
Honeybees sip the citrus nectar and make Florida's famous sweet, golden honey.
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The Queen's Hive
Up to 50,000 sister bees work together inside one wooden hive box!
Honeybees were brought by settlers to help pollinate crops—and they love Florida citrus!
Nature's Miracle
How Bees Help Florida Grow Food
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Sip Sweet Nectar
The bee lands on a flower to drink sweet energy juice called nectar.
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Dust with Pollen
Yellow pollen powder sticks all over the bee's fluffy velvet body!
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Grow Florida Fruit!
The bee carries pollen to the next flower so seeds and delicious fruit can grow!
Florida Crops Made by Bees: 🍓 Strawberries 🍉 Watermelons 🫐 Blueberries 🍊 Oranges
Secret Homes
Most Florida Bees Live Alone!
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70% of Wild Bees
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Ground Diggers
Florida has lots of warm, sandy soil. Mother bees dig cozy underground tunnels to keep their baby bee eggs safe!
Look for tiny sand chimneys in the grass!
30% of Wild Bees
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Stem & Wood Dwellers
Leafcutter bees and carpenter bees tuck their nests into hollow plant stems, reeds, or old fallen tree branches.
They wrap tiny leaf circles like blankets!
Surprise! Wild solitary bees do NOT make big honeycomb hives. They are gentle solo builders!
Bee Protection Squad
How to Be a Florida Bee Hero!
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Plant Native Flowers
Grow Florida Coreopsis (our state wildflower!), sunflowers, and colorful salvias.
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Make a Water Station
Put pebbles in a shallow dish with clean water so thirsty bees can land and sip safely!
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Watch Calmly
Bees only want to find flower nectar. Give them gentle space and watch them work!
🌟 "Be kind, give space, and keep Florida blooming!" 🌟
Check Your Knowledge
Florida Buzz Quiz!
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Q1
How many wild bee species live in Florida?
Answer: Over 300 kinds!
Q2
Why do bees have fuzzy coats?
Answer: To catch golden pollen!
Q3
Where do most native Florida bees nest?
Answer: Underground in sand!
Shout out the answers with your class! You are bee experts!
Official Junior Naturalist
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You Are a Florida Bee Champion!
Next time you see a bee on a Florida flower, remember all the big work that little insect does for our world!
Class Mission: Spot a busy bee pollinating a flower today!