Bees capture our imagination more than most other insect groups. This is evident by their presence in art, literature, science and economics. We rely on them for our nutrition and we value them for their beauty. But we don’t actually know that much about them and their mysterious ways. In this presentation I am going to attempt to merge art and science, sharing some of my love and fascination with all bees (not just the humble honeybee) through poems and short stories. I will intersperse these with some important research we are conducting at Western Sydney University to understand their role in agricultural systems, in glasshouse food production and how we can ensure the health and survival of both managed and wild species’ within these human-dominated environments.