Why Do Bees Make a Buzzing Sound?

Flight

• Bees make a distinct buzzing sound when they fly because their wings move more than 11,000 times per minute. This movement cuts through the air and creates the vibration sound you hear when bees are close by.

Honey

• The vibration from bees' wings is also used to help assist in the nectar evaporation process when a bee colony is making honey in a beehive. Nectar starts as about 80 percent water, and the quick movement of a collection of bee wings helps to evaporate the water from the nectar to make it into honey. This wing movement also makes a buzzing sound.

Respiration

• Bees do not have sound-making organs. The buzzing sound is made both from the movement of their wings, and when their bodies push air through spiracles, which are small airways that are used for respiration.

Pollination

• Bees move from flower to flower for the process of pollination. This is the first step in the honey-making process. Bees get flowers to release pollen by vibrating their bodies on the anthers of flowers, which creates a buzzing sound and makes the flowers release pollen.