By Katy Budge
It was only natural that, in researching a piece about a beekeeper, I’d become interested in the company they keep.
And really, everyone should “bee” intrigued with these amazing little creatures. While the most obvious product of bees is their delicious honey, it’s their industrious pollination work that keeps life on this planet buzzing.
There are several thousand types of bee species, but it’s estimated that honey bees alone are responsible for pollinating 80 percent of all flowering plants. Plants such as vegetables, fruits, nuts … in other words – FOOD!
To give you a sense of scale, let’s look at how bees impact just one particular crop — California almonds. This industry is almost entirely dependent on bees for pollination, and about 70% of commercial bee operations place their hives in the orchards each spring. It’s an important revenue source for beekeepers since honey alone can’t pay the bills.
If you drive past those acres of almond trees during the pollination months, you’ll see boxes and boxes of buzzing hives stacked up in the orchards. So what’s the worth of all those busy bees? In 2021, the almond industry was California’s top agriculture export, providing about 80% of the world’s almonds, to the tune of almost $5 billion. Billion, with a B.
Bees in Peril
Sadly, despite their importance to our very existence, bees face a myriad of threats. The wee workhorses are constantly at risk from natural causes ranging from diseases, to predators, to weather. Most of the other threats come from humans, such as climate change, pesticide use, and loss of habitat. Not very nice of us given that bees help feed the world.
Obviously, not everyone can be beekeepers, but most of us can act as bee guardians. The Bee Conservancy lists 10 ways on their website, including planting a bee garden and eliminating the use of pesticides.
Another way to help bees is to merely chillax if one starts flying around you. Unless you’re actively annoying the bee or its hive, it’s probably just checking you out because you are wearing flower power colors or an attractive scent. Of course, aggressive bee species are another story, as are people allergic to stings, but most of us can just gently wave the bee away and get on with our day.
Also, don’t panic if you encounter a bee swarm. (They’re magical to watch if you are able to watch without disturbing it.) Bees typically swarm in the early summer months because their hive has gotten too crowded or the queen has stopped being productive. Essentially, they’re looking for new digs, and will usually move on in a timely manner.
If the swarm or the newly settled hive is too close for comfort, DO NOT reach for poison! Check your local apiary resources for beekeepers that do swarm removal. (such as this resource on California’s Central Coast.) You’ll not only be helping out the bees, you’ll be finding the beekeeper a new hive.
Since bees keep us alive, it certainly seems worth it to help keep them alive. Beyond that, they are fascinating creatures, as you’ll discover below!
Bee Facts
In its lifetime, a single worker bee can produce about a tablespoon of honey.
How many bees in a pound? About 4,000.
Since they are cold-blooded, bees have to keep their hive temperatures between 93-95 Degrees F. According to the Big Island Bees website, “In cold weather, bees keep the hive warm by swarming together to generate body heat and by sealing cracks in the hive with propolis. In warm weather, the bees collect water and line up in a circle around the hive entrance. Using their wings, the bees fan the water so that it evaporates into the air. They then fan the cool air so that it circulates around the hive as a sort of central air conditioning.”
And finally, a bee-adjacent fact — there is actually a beast known as a “honey bear”, except it’s more closely related to raccoons. They’re cute, but I don’t think I’d want to tangle with those claws! (Click on the link for photos and info.)