Bee

Bees were a type of insect that could be found throughout the Realms.

"There's power in groups. One bee's a pest, but nobody messes with the swarm."

- Iggwilv

Behavior
The aroma from incense sticks was known to alter the moods of bees, making them passive and docile.

Varieties

 * Bumblebees
 * Giant bees

Ecology
Much like ants, bees lived in hives that consisted of workers and soldiers.

Bees played an important role in ecosystems they inhabited by pollinating plants and crops.

Habitats
Bees were known to inhabit the Moonshae Isles, the Dalelands,, the Farsea Marshes, Katakoro, and the plane of Arcadia.

In the Savage Frontier region they could be found in Laughing Hollow.

Relationships
Bees were a favored animal of the halfling goddess Sheela Peryroyl.

Usage
Beekeeping, a practice of keeping and tending to domesticated bees in return for the products they made, mainly honey, was very common throughout the Realms, wherever the climate allowed. This practice often involved a tool known as a beehive, an artificial structure for bees to live in.

Some notable places where beekeeping was practiced included the town of Eveningstar, the city-state of Neverwinter, and the plane of Dothion,

Other products of bees that other creatures harvested included beeswax and a resin mixture known as propolis, which among other things could be used to make a varnish.

The spell shrieking walls required the wing of a bee as a material component. Bee wings were known to be sold in pairs of six in Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue at a price of 3 cp.

Rumors & Legends
One legend in the Feywild claimed that the secret of making honey was sold to the bee species as a whole by pixies, who had stolen it from a goblet of mead belonging to the Summer Queen.

Trivia

 * Due to being natural pollinators, bees were often associated with the goddess Chauntea. An image of bees could be found embossed on the door-ring of many Chauntean temples.
 * Bisan were occasionally known to polymorph self into honey bees.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Under Illefarn
 * Novels
 * Sentinelspire