Table of Contents:
Do Bees Have Knees?
Yes, bees have knees.
In fact, they have six knees, one for each of their six legs.
Think about it like this:
As a human, your knee is the joint between your femur and tibia. Your femur is the thigh bone, and your tibia is the shin bone. Bees also have femurs and tibias, so they need knees to join the two together.
Take a look at this bees’ knee:
And here’s the interesting part:
All animals with backbones (vertebrates) will have knees if they have legs. This includes birds, horses, dogs, cats, and many more.
But bees?
Bees still have knees even though they’re invertebrates (meaning they have boneless, flexible bodies). But even though bees have knees, they don’t have backbones like humans do. Instead, they have an exoskeleton, which is a thin, shell-like outer layer.
So in summary?
Knees serve as a joint where two things meet. A bees’ knee allows them to straighten and bend their legs. It also supports their body weight when they’re perched on a flower or inside their nest.
And interestingly enough:
Human knees work similarly to bees’ knees. For example, our knees support our body weight and allow us to bend our legs too. In fact, the knees are the biggest joints in the human body.
Pretty cool, right? You learn something new every day.
So now, the big question is:
Do Bees Have Kneecaps?
If bees have knees, then surely they have kneecaps too…right?
Nope.
A bees’ leg is actually more complex than you might think. They have six legs in total with hair-like sensors that allow them to smell and taste things. Despite this complexity, bees don’t have kneecaps like humans do. Their knee structure is much more simple.
But wait a second.
What is a kneecap, exactly?
Kneecaps are also called “patellas” which is a small bone located at the front of the knee.
Check it out:
Since your kneecap (patella) is in front of your knee, it helps protect it from damage. The kneecap is kept in place by two tendons, your patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon.
Bees don’t have the same complex structure with their knees like humans do, so they don’t have kneecaps.
Enough of the scientific stuff though.
Now you might be asking…
Why Do We Say the Bees’ Knees?
Want to hear something surprising?
The phrase “the bees’ knees” dates all the way back to the 1700s. But back then, it meant the opposite of what it means today. You see, these days when someone says “the bees’ knees” it means something is cool.
But back in the 1700s?
The “bees’ knees” meant that something was “very small” and “insignificant.” Basically, it was a term you used when saying that something was unimportant.
But that all changed around the 1920s.
In the 1920s, many catchy phrases were introduced in America. This included new phrases like:
- “The cats’ pajamas.” Meaning: A highly admired or excellent person or thing. Example: “I love working with Ashley. She’s the cats’ pajamas.”
- “That’s baloney!” Meaning: An expression of disagreement used when something is considered nonsense. Example: “Wait, so your landlord won’t get your air conditioner fixed? That’s baloney if you ask me!”
- “Behind the eight ball.” Meaning: Someone is in a difficult or unfavorable position. Example: “Jordan’s exam is in 20 minutes, and he didn’t study for it. It’s too late to help him because he’s behind the eight ball now.”
- “The cats’ meow.” Meaning: When someone or something is impressive or cool. Example: “Did you see Monica’s new car? It’s the cats’ meow.”
So as you can tell, the “bees’ knees” was adopted into American slang during this time, along with a slew of other popular phrases.
And you know what?
I like the phrase even though I don’t use it much. I like it because it’s a positive association with bees, which is important because sometimes bees get a bad rap because they’re labeled “aggressive.” All because they have a stinger.
But truthfully?
Bees are generally gentle creatures that like to be left alone. They rarely sting unless they feel seriously threatened (like if you’re poking around their hive or if you step on them).
FAQS on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
- Is there a cocktail called the bees’ knees?
- What do bees’ knees look like?
- Do bees smell with their knees?
- Why do we say the bees’ knees?
- What does the bees’ knees mean?
- Do bees actually have knees?
- What do bees have instead of kneecaps?
Is there a cocktail called the bees’ knees?
Yes, the bees’ knees is a popular cocktail invented by Frank Meier in 1921.
It’s made with gin, honey, and lemon. It’s served over ice with a ‘twist’ of lemon, depending on how tart you like your drink. Some recipes of the bees’ knees cocktail use orange juice instead of lemon to tone down its tartness.
The ingredients are:
- 2 ounces gin
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 ounce honey syrup
Once the ingredients are mixed together, then the drink is garnished with a slice of fresh lemon.
It’s brightly flavored, slightly sweet, and just an overall delightful drink for people who enjoy cocktails. Many people prefer to drink it during the spring and summer while sitting on a patio or balcony.
One note:
Pay attention to the lemon measurements before making the bees’ knees cocktail. If you squeeze too much lemon into the drink, it can become too sharp and have you making the “sour lemon face.”
You also might want to have a bottle of orange juice on hand to try it that way instead.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
More to Explore:
What do bees’ knees look like?
A bees’ knee looks like a small bend in their leg.
Bees’ knees are tiny, so you can’t really see them unless you’re looking at a zoomed-in picture. But despite their small size, bees’ knees serve a very important purpose. Bees need their knees just like humans do.
For example:
The knee is the joint where the upper thigh and lower shin bones meet. The knees are the largest joints in the human body, allowing you to sit, walk, run, or jump. They work like hinges consisting of the femur – aka the upper leg bone or thigh bone, and the tibia – the bone at the front of the lower leg, or shin bone.
Bees knee’s work in a similar way.
They allow the bee to bend its legs and walk on flowers and other things. Also, like humans, bees’ knees help support their body weight.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
More to Explore:
Do bees smell with their knees?
This is an interesting yet odd question we get asked a lot.
I believe we get asked after people learn that bees don’t have noses. Instead, they detect smells with their antennae, mouths, and legs.
Yes, bees smell things with their legs.
So it has people wondering:
Well, if bees smell things using their legs, does that mean they use their knees to smell?
Good question. No, bees don’t use their knees to smell.
They do, however, use some parts of their legs to smell things. In these areas, bees have tiny, hair-like receptors called sensilla. The sensilla are specialized sensory nerve cells that feed back information to the bees’ brain. As mentioned, sensilla are found on a bees’ legs, antennae, and mouth.(1, 2, 3)
They help the bee detect tastes and smells.
So you know what that means?
Yes, bees use their antennae, legs, and mouths to smell and taste things. Tasting things with your legs seems crazy, right? But it’s a natural thing for bees.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
More to Explore:
- Do Bees Sleep?
- How to Keep Bees Away From Hummingbird Feeders
- Ground Bees: Are They a Threat to You or Your Yard?
Why do we say the bees’ knees? What does bees’ knees mean?
The phrase “bees’ knees” was actually introduced back in the 1700s. That said, it had an entirely different meaning than it does today. Back then, it referred to something small, weak, or unimportant.
For example:
“It can’t be as big as a bees’ knee.”
But this meaning of the term has since gone extinct. The phrase “the bees’ knees” was repurposed in the 1920s to mean “cool” or “top-notch.” It became popular with other phrases like “the cats’ meow” and the “cats’ pajamas.”
With that in mind, there’s been some debate on who came up with this catchphrase.
Some people attribute the phrase to the 1920s famous dancer, Bee Jackson.
Some people suggest that the phrase “the bees’ knees” refers to her literal knees as she danced. It was used as a compliment to her dancing skills. And some people believe she’s the original source of the expression.
But, the phrase existed before Bee Jackson became famous and we don’t truly know where it originated from.
That said, Bee Jackson’s fame certainly may have helped skyrocket the popularity of the phrase.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
More to Explore:
Do bees actually have knees?
Yes, bees have knees. And you might be surprised to learn that bees actually have six knees because they have six legs.
Bees’ knees function similar to human knees in that they help the leg bend and they help support the bees’ body weight. But, bees are different because they don’t just rely on their knees or legs for transportation.
They have four wings (two on one side and two on the other) that allow them to travel long distances. They use their legs for walking short distances, such as around their hive or when perching on flower petals.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
More to Explore:
What do bees have instead of kneecaps?
People ask us all the time:
Does a bee have knee caps? Why don’t bees need kneecaps like humans do? Are bees’ kneecaps just too small to see?
The answer is that bees don’t have kneecaps. Although bees and humans have certain similarities like the fact that we both have knees, there are differences too.
Remember:
Knees are joints that join the upper leg and lower leg together. Human knees have kneecaps (patella) that cover the knee. Kneecaps are made of bones.
In contrast, bees are invertebrates which means they don’t have internal bones. They have an external skeleton rather than an internal one.
A bees’ body is both complex and interesting, and scientists don’t have all the answers just yet. But we do know that without a bone structure, bees technically can’t have kneecaps in the same way humans do.
But despite not having all the answers, it’s still fun to learn and study the anatomy of bees. Bees are wonderful little creatures that work hard and provide a very important role in our environment.
And bees’ knees are essential even though bees’ knees are a very small part of their overall body. They’re joints that allow bees to bend their legs. They also help support a bees’ body weight when they’re perched on a flower or leaf.
To put it simply?
Knees make a bees’ life easier because it gives their legs movement and bending ability.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Do Bees Have Knees?”
More to Explore:
