Queen Cheyenne and Princess Emilia flew on an airplane to many states in 2025! We flew to Wisconsin, Nevada, Florida, Kentucky, and more! This made us think…are honeybees better flyers than airplanes?
Honeybee can beat their two pairs of wings at 11,700 times per minute, that is pretty fast! That fast buzzing is also what makes their distinct buzzing sound. Additionally, bees don’t move their wings up and down, like birds; or have motors like an airplane. Bees move their wings in a figure-eight pattern which allows them to have more lift and control when they fly.
Because of this, there are some interesting things that honeybees do that planes cannot:
Hover in place like a helicopter
Fly backwards and sideways
Turn quickly in mid-air
Land on flowers without crashing
Carry heavy loads like nectar and pollen while still flying 12 mph!
Scientists were unsure of how honeybees and bumblebees could fly because their bodies are too big for their wings to typically handle! However, they defy the odds because of their strong flight muscles in their body and fast speed.
So even though bees are small, they are some of the best pilots in the natural world!
