On May 20th, we celebrate World Bee Day—but this is more than a moment to applaud honey on toast. From deserts to mountain peaks, 4,000 native bee species are shaping life on Earth. In this ode to pollinators, we explore how bees are vegetarian wasps, why they defy insect stereotypes, and how planting flowers could ripple through ecosystems in ways both measurable and magnificent.

 A recent experiment on an Italian island has exposed an unsettling reality—honeybee hives may be reducing wild bee populations by monopolizing floral resources. When researchers temporarily grounded honeybees, wild bees flourished, highlighting the unintended ecological impact of managed hives.

 In a groundbreaking fusion of nature and technology, researchers are training honeybees to assist in search and rescue missions in Joshua Tree National Park. These tiny yet powerful navigators use their innate ability to detect water—found in lost hikers’ sweat—to lead responders to those in need. Outfitted with miniature GPS trackers, the bees are proving to be an effective and low-cost alternative to traditional rescue methods.