“That buzzing noise means something, and the only reason for making a buzzing noise that I know of is because you're a bee. And the only reason for being a bee is to make honey. And the only reason for making honey is so I can eat it.”
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax. Many species sting when provoked as a means of self-defense. Most species sting if provoked. In Disney media, Honeybees often antagonize Donald Duck or Winnie the Pooh or any other character who disturbs them and/or tries to steal their honey. Despite being enemies of Pooh and his friends, they are generally more neutral characters, attacking only because their honey is being stolen.
Pooh is all out of honey and thinks of the idea to steal some from the bees. He covers himself up in mud to disguise himself as a little black rain cloud and uses a balloon and with the aid of Christopher Robin, the plan is in motion. Once Pooh gets to the hole at the top of the honey tree, he tries to put his paw in the honey, but one bee pops out the tree and Pooh thinks they are suspecting he is after their honey. Pooh then sticks his paw in the hole to grab some honey but doesn't notice the bees stuck on his honey-covered paw (one quickly escaped and warned his allies to prepare for attack) and unknowingly eats them. The bees buzz in Pooh's mouth and he quickly spits them out of his mouth. After Pooh spits out a few more bees from his left ear, he kicks one bee (the queen bee) with his muddy foot, sending it into the mud below. The bees then attack and battle Pooh (as his disguise wears off), and that (queen) bee from the mud, angry at Pooh (noticing he is actually a bear), flies back up and stings his bottom as revenge, forcing Pooh to swing back and get his bottom stuck in the bee's tree, much to the queen bee's laughter. The bees powerfully shoot Pooh out of their hole like a cork from a soda bottle and the balloon he held onto lets go of its string, sending Pooh flying on the balloon while the bees chase after him in hot pursuit. After the balloon finally runs out of air, Pooh falls back down to the ground (and Christopher Robin catches him), but a massive swarm of bees flies out of the hive to attack them even more, causing Christopher Robin and Pooh to run away and jump into a mud puddle to lose them.
They are last seen when Pooh is sent flying out of Rabbit's hole (which he was stuck in) and into a tree. The impact sends an enormous group of them flying out of it and away out of being startled. It is unknown if they are the same ones in the honey tree that Pooh was trying to get some from.
The bees are recurring enemies in the show often seeming like army troops and are on a constant lookout for their foe Winnie the Pooh. Most episodes depict a more cartoonish version of them in contrast to their more realistic forms in their film appearances. Their designs aren't consistent, as they change throughout the episodes.
Pooh is searching for Tigger's family but becomes distracted by the delicious scent of honey. The bees are suspicious of him and sting him on the hand when he tries to steal their honey, but he sings them a lullaby which eventually puts them to sleep, allowing him to take some until they are accidentally awakened and chase him, Piglet, and Eeyore.
Pooh and his friends are working to obtain honey from their enemies. The bees become aware and begin to attack them. Rabbit tries to lullaby the bees by playing the violin, but the bees don't like the loud noise and steal the violin from him. Piglet bravely takes a decoy hive and traps them inside it. Eventually, they free themselves and attack the group once again. They hide inside Piglet's home but are able to sting Eeyore on the nose.
The bees first appeared in Kingdom Hearts in Pooh's Hunny Hunt where they are trying to pop Winnie the Pooh's balloon to prevent him from getting their honey.
The bees appear in the Hundred Acre Wood Command Board whenever the Hunny Hunt bonus is triggered. Several honeypots appear across the board, with bees hovering around some of them. The pots with bees take points away from the player. If the main player triggers Hunny Hunt, it is a 100% guarantee that a pot with bees will fall directly on them. However, if a computer-controlled opponent triggers it, a pot without bees will fall on them.
Sora battling several groups of honey bees in a mini-game in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.
The bees appear again in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, where they are featured in various mini-games in the 100 Acre Wood section in Castle Oblivion.
In Kingdom Hearts II, the bees appear in Tram Common in Twilight Town in a small enclosure guarded by a middle-aged lady who seems to be quite frustrated with the insects. They only sting Sora or Roxas, causing very little damage. More of these bees can be exterminated in a mini-game called Bumble Buster - the less time is taken to get rid of them, the more Munny Roxas gets.
Their other appearance is in the Hundred Acre Wood is in the Spooky Cave, where they scare Tigger, Piglet, Roo, and Eeyore while Sora is trying to help the gang find a missing Pooh.
While the bees do not physically appear on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, several beehives can be found near the loading station. Bees can also be heard buzzing in a beehive that can be seen after exiting the show building. Several small statues of bees can also be found all over the Pooh Corner gift shop.
Trivia[]
The bees have also been minor characters in some Donald Duck shorts, most notably those starring Humphrey the Bear.
