State Insect

Louisiana designated the honeybee as official state insect in 1977. Bee pollination is critical to plant and human survival - beeswax and honey are just surplus gifts from this tiny wonder of nature. The plant world expends a lot of energy attracting bees and other insects with brilliantly colored flowers and sweet nectar. The honeybee is recognized as an official state symbol in seventeen states. Honeybees play an important role in nature. Honeybees live in hives of up to 80,000 individuals.