The Buzz!!!

Bees!!!

If everything is honey
And I am what I eat
I must be made of honey
And life is very sweet
Winnie the pooh.

If you’re like me, you’re petrified of bees. Not that I’ve ever been stung but the idea of being stung, is enough to send me off in a panic the minute I hear that buuzzzzz…, this by the way, is not a good idea!

Considering I feel this way, why should I be concerned about bees?You’d think I would be happy if I never hear that buzzing.
Well, the answer is very simple. Food!!! We need them! Bees provide us with much more than just honey! They are pollinators. What is a pollinator you ask, a pollinator gathers nectar and pollen from flowers. This pollen fertilizes plants and that’s the beginning of your fruits and vegetables.
About one-third of all crops, including almost all fruits and non-grain vegetables, are pollinated by honeybees.This includes many of our favourite foods like oranges, apples, coffee, and of course, honey.
Check out a short list of some more of your favourites!

There are two types of bees, cultivated and native. Honeybees are considered to be cultivated, you can thank them for that delicious honey and beeswax for your candles and many more products.

Even though they don’t produce honey, the native bee is just as important in the pollination process.

Bee-lieve it, it’s true!!! – Did you know pollen is collected by female bees, using hairs on their legs and underbellies.

Most fruits and vegetables need bees to spread pollen. Commercial beekeepers are hired by farmers to pollenate their fields. This is done by placing behives near the farmers’ fields for a few weeks. The plants are pollinated while bees collect nectar for their hives

Bee-lieve it, it’s true!!! – Did you know the taste of honey is determined by the type of flowers the bees used to collect the nectar?

Bee-ing a queen may not be all it’s cracked up to bee! The queen has little control in a hive. She is there simply to lay eggs. The number of eggs is determined by the amount of food she is fed, that can number up to 2,000 per day for up to 5 years.

Most of the other bees in the hive are females, “Workers”, they do everything else in the hive. At different points in the workers life, they are nurse maids, builders, guards and collectors of nectar and pollen

Very few males hatch in the hive, these are called “Drones”, when old enough they fly off looking for a queen. The fastest drone will be the one to catch and mate with the queen. Once he catches the queen and successfully mates, he dies!.

Bee-lieve it, it’s true!!! – Did you know beeswax is used in moisturizers, hand creams, lip balm, lip gloss, cosmetics, hair products and other products.

How can you help?

Simple, plant wild flowers. If like me you are scared of them, plant the flowers away from any passage way and your door ways.

Where? Anywhere, if grass can grow there, so can wildflowers.

What kind of wildflowers? Get the package from your local stores. This way you stand a better chance of getting plants that are region-specific. If purchasing on line, just remember that not all flowers are native to your areas, some may be invasive a

Bee-lieve it, it’s true!!! – The bee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man

Bee-cautious:
Just like any other animal bees will attack if they feel they are being threatened. If you find yourself around bees, stay calm if they land on you just remain still until it flies away in its own.

– If you see a swarm of bees, they usually making a nest. Just walk away, leave them alone and they will leave you alone!

– Stay away from their nests.
– Stay away from bee nests, which might be found in woodpiles, old tires, sheds, garages, decks, cans, or boxes.
– Listen for buzzing. If you hear it, slowly walk away.
– If you find yourself near bees, move slowly. Don’t wave your arms and leap around. The bees may think you are an
enemy and try to sting.
– If a bee lands on you, stand still and let it fly away on its own. Don’t try to swat it away.
– Don’t bother single bees. They are usually out flying from flower to flower and won’t sting if you leave them
alone.
– Avoid a swarm of bees. Bees swarm in large numbers to make nests, not to attack people. Just walk slowly away if
you see a swarm.

Remember: bees won’t sting you if you leave them alone!

Still not convinces we should save bees, here are just some of the things you can say goodbye to: