The bee has become a popular symbol in tattooing recently, mostly because of it’s association with the dreadful terror attack on Manchester. They’re a symbol that haven’t often been seeing tattoo designs before, but previous decades have made their popularity grow. People searching for bee tattoos are on the increase.
There are a lot of meanings behind these humble bee tattoos. There are also plenty of ways to wear them. They can be customised, dressed up in a hundred and one different ways, and made to suit you and whatever tattoos you already have decorating your skin.
If you’re looking for some cute little buzzy tats all of your own, grab yourself a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable.
1 – Realism Bee And Honey Bee Tattoo
A realistic bee design is obviously going to be one of the most popular, especially with that honeycomb design in the background. The great news about this cute little buzzy design, is that you can change the shape of the honeycomb to make it fit in whatever part of the body you want it to fit in. This one is quite rounded in shape, but if you needed it in an L-shape to fit in a different part of the body than the leg (which you can see here), it would be easily transformed with the help of a good artist.
Source: stephenveunartist
2 – Neotraditional Bee Tattoos
This almost geometric style honeycomb has been wonderfully worked into the skin with strong coloured lining. Well-executed and colourful, the brightly-coloured bee is almost traditional, but still modern at the same time, incorporating a number of different types and styles in one. The little addition of petals and flowers make it a more feminine touch, but you could leave these out if you were looking for something a little more masculine.
Source: brunostaytrue
3 – Simple Black + White Bee Tattoos
There are plenty of meanings behind these bee tattoos, and one of the best links that you could use is that of loyalty. A worker bee is a very loyal character, to his queen and his hive, and will work tirelessly, defending it at whatever lengths are necessary. This simple black and white bee tattoo definitely could add a hint of loyalty to a bigger tattoo piece, perhaps a leg or arm sleeve?
Source: ellewebbtattoos
4 – Realistic Honey Bee Tattoo
It’s cute and realistic, but those are just two reasons why we love bee tattoos like this humble honeybee. Not just displaying loyalty, the bee could be symbolic of honour and duty, keeping in line with how every bee has its place within the much bigger workings of the hive. Consistency is another tone you could look towards. Bees do what they need to do to keep the other bees and queen safe consistently, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Source: shannonrosespeakeasy
5 – Colorful Bee Tattoos
If you want to add a hint of colour to your bee tattoos, this beautiful jewelled number is definitely one to take inspiration from. That cute little heart shape worked in dots definitely helps to add a little something extra to the entire design, and also works if you want to take things away from the more traditional, realistic styles. Cute and almost cartoon-esque, it’s one that most definitely deserves to be on the list.
Source: carolinederwenttattoo
6 – Neotraditional Honeycomb Honey Bee Tattoo Design
What a bright and colourful design, a neo-traditional bee design worked into a really bright and realistic honeycomb piece in the background. A great design to incorporate into the roundness of an arm, it’s another one that we in the CherryCherryBeauty went buzz-bonkers for.
Source: stephenverneartist
7 – Cute + Simple Bee Tattoos
Cute, simple and actually really pretty – that’s what we thought when we saw this little bee design. Perfect for filling gaps in a larger space, or for those little spots – wrists, ankles, etc. – it’s bright, colourful, and brings the buzzy theme in without any extra work necessary. Even better than that, it’ll pack an impact without needing to add something really big.
Source: flimflamtattoos
8 – Black and White Minimalist Bee Tattoo
What an absolutely stunning design! The colour splash of this look is amazing, particularly with that dripping honey look running throughout the honeycomb back-structure. Colour-splash tattoos really help to make an impact without the need for lots of colouring-in, perfect for those who aren’t a fan of the pain factor. Let’s face it, tattoos hurt.
Source: hettiebakertattoo
9 – Botanical Honey Bee Tattoo
Bees and botanicals are two things that go hand in hand, and that’s most definitely the case for these beautiful bee tattoos. You could change up the flowers to mean different things too. Each flower will have it’s symbols and meanings. Rose tattoos, for example, are said to depict new beginnings, hope, undying love, and also balance. Lilies, on the other hand, are meant to mean spiritual enlightenment and purity. There are so many different flowers you could incorporate into bee tattoos like this one. Which would you go for? And what would they mean to you?
Source: kayybunny
10 – Cute Daisy Bee Tattoos
The humble daisy tattoo will mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but over the years, this pretty flower has been said to symbolise things such as innocence, chastity, purity and love. This simple bee and daisy tattoo is perfect for a spot like the wrist or ankle, or you could even grow it, creating a daisy chain of flowers with multiple bees, or even multiple bugs. You could add a ladybird in there, and perhaps a few butterflies. What do you think you would like to add in there?
Source: jemmyleedoesart
11 – Colorful Heart-Shaped Honey Bee Tattoo
Do you love bees? We love bees. We love bees for a number of reasons, and one of which is because they are wired to do whatever their job is. There are usually scout bees in the hive, for example, and these are wired to go out into the great wild and look for new places that contain food and nutrition. There are other bees in the hive too – soldiers, for example, who act as ‘bouncers’ for the club, in this case, a hive. Bees are very clever and intricate little creatures, and if you love bees (and are fascinated by them) as much as we are, you’ll love bee tattoos like this, complete with a stunning honeycomb love heart.
12 – Best Friends Bee Tattoos
These make for beautiful bee tattoos for friends, sisters, or even lovers to have. One person could have one designs, and the other person could have a design that was specifically created for them, or the same design again. With that mix-matched and patchy honeycomb background, there are a hundred and one ways in which you could turn the design around to better work for you, and where you want it on your body.
13 – Cute Cartoon Rainbow Honey Bee Tattoo
You can’t get much sweeter or cuter than this cartoon-style bee, complete with big eyes and a little purple stringer. Bees aren’t usually aggressive characters, so this cute style depicts their personalities quite well. Although not aggressive unless provoked, they will defend their queen and hive to the death. That’s why you should probably just back away if you find one.
14 – Jewelled Bee Tattoos
In some ancient worlds and cultures, the bee stood for so much. It was once thought of as a symbol to show the soul. This is a creature that is capable of flying quite large distances to find food for the rest of the members in the hive, yet they would always find their way back home. In the times of Ancient Rome and Greece, bees were used as weapons too. Don’t you see? Bees are so much more than just cute and fuzzy little bugs that hang around in our favourite flowers. They deserve to be showed off, just like bee tattoos such as this one.
15 – Bee Tattoos on Knees
This tattoo really is the bees knees, and pretty cute at the same time too. Knee tattoos are said to really hurt, but there is a cream that we have personally tried to make the pain a little more bearable. Emla Cream (for all our UK readers) can be bought in pharmacists, and numbs the skin for about 45 minutes to an hour. You need to apply the cream and then cover it with cling film for an hour in order for it to have some effect, but for those really painful areas, it really can help.
(We can vouch for this because we have personally used it in ‘ouchy’ places of our own! Chemists do not advise that you use this cream for tattoos, however, and remember that you should always patch test first.)
16 – Colorful Mandala Honey Bee Tattoo
When you have colourful bee tattoos such as this one on your skin, you’ll need to take really good care of it to ensure the colours last for a long time. The sun, for example, can have a detrimental effect on your skin and the colour of your ink, so you’ll want to make sure you’re using a good sun protection lotion, particularly on your tatted-up areas. Where possible, keep new tattoos out of the sun, and even more so around lunchtime – the time at which the sun’s rays are more powerful.
You should also make sure you know how to take care of your new tattoo – ask your artist. You will generally get some information on how you are advised to take care of your ink when you go for your appointment, and if you don’t, ask for more information or look for another artist.
17 – Traditional Bee Tattoo
For when you don’t want cute and feminine bee tattoos, how about this old school tattoo look? A little more masculine than your average bee inspired ink, this is a bad asse look. It’s one that we still love nevertheless. What do you think? Is it your cup of tea? Let us know – shout out your thoughts in the comments below!
18 – Tattoos Of Honey Bees
This is a super cute design, right? We definitely thought so, a beautifully positioned shoulder piece that is both feminine and totally bad ass! Oh, and a few flowers thrown in for good measure too.
Source: bethrosetattoo
19 – Minimalist Bee Tattoo with Daisy Chain
This beautiful leg piece is super cute for so many reasons. For a personalised look you could incorporate text into the daisy chain. Maybe you could even have a different flower to represent different people? The possibilities really are endless, and we can’t wait to see what you wonderful lot come up with!
20 – Colorful Bee Tattoos
Really bright colours in watercolour effect really work together well in bright, positive tattoos. That’s why we loved this little positive bee, or positivi-bee … We thought it was really clever, okay? Don’t laugh at our lame bee jokes! Speaking of bee jokes, this tattoo isn’t one, but we have gone one for you:
Q: Why did the bee get married?
A: Because he found his honey …
(We laughed a little bit!)
21 – Honey Bee Tattoo with Dot Work Roses
Finally we come to this stunning design – bees and dot work roses. It’s a combination of colour and black and white, making the contrast really stand out. That dot work really brings a different finish to your ink. It’s a relatively new look, but one that has been used in thousands of years for art. It’s one of those tattoo designs we’re definitely looking a little closer into. Dot work – would you?
Wow! What a beautiful display of amazing artwork! What did you think of these stunning bee tattoos? We can’t wait to hear which ones are your favourites. If you’d like to be featured, feel free to send in your own ideas. We’d love to feature your artwork, whether you’re an artist, or you just love having the designs on your body. You’ll find our social media links at the top and side of this page, and we would love to hear from you. If you want us to show off your work, send them our way!
Remember to show these amazing tattoo artists some love. You’ll find the links to their Instagram accounts beneath each individual photo. If we’ve gotten any of the info wrong, feel free to correct us. And remember to get in touch – you can leave your comments below, or use our social media links. We’d love to hear from you!
Oh and do you want some more creative tattoo inspiration? Also check out our post on unicorn tattoo ideas, you might see something you like!
