What is World Bee Day?
What is World Bee Day? World Bee Day is a globally recognized day to celebrate bees, of course! Well, obviously it’s much more than that.
World Bee Day is intended to bring global awareness to the importance of bees. It is important to raise awareness. Many people have fears, misconceptions, or a general disregard for bees. This is due to a lack of bee knowledge and understanding.
So in honor of World Bee Day, allow me to impart some bee-wildering bee facts upon you. I can’t promise I’ll bee-have, but I wouldn’t bee me without a few bee puns!
Bee-lieve it!
Most people know that bees are pollinators, but what does that mean? For starters, bees spread pollen. This is just one key factor that makes bees so important. Without their help in spreading pollen around, we would not have sustainable crops and wild plant growth. Bees are responsible for sustaining approximately 90% of wild growth and 75% of crops.
Bees help spread everything from our herbs and veggies to fruits and flowers! While doing so, they gather what they need to make even more goodies for us in the form of bee’s wax and honey! Now, some don’t realize the true value of those goodies.
Bee’s wax is used for all sorts of human products and not just commercially. A crafter can make quite the side hustle from bee’s wax in the making of candles, soaps, lip balms, and other cosmetics. It can also be used in homemade cooking, mead and alcohol, and medicine recipes. I recently learned it can be used to line carved horns for drinking from.
As for honey, it may seem pricey to some, but I assure you it’s worth it. It would take twelve bees their entire lives to fill one teaspoon’s worth of honey. So those two teaspoons of honey you may use in your tea or in a recipe took 24 bees entire life’s work to create for you. I think they deserve at least a bit of appreciation.
Bee-ware!
That bee-ing said, imagine how scare honey would bee if there weren’t so many busy bees working to make it. If you see an increase in pricing perhaps consider the reason. The less bees there are in the world, the less honey there is to bee had. This is part of what makes World Bee Day so important. The world bee population has seen a decline due to things like pesticides.
Also people just being people tends to have an adverse effect on the natural world around us. Because humans have lost their natural connection to the world and the other living things in it, they tend to be problematic. It isn’t always intentional. In fact, the majority of the harm caused by humans isn’t done with malice or intent, but with ignorance or apathy.
People cut and spray their yards for aesthetic purposes. Removing things like dandelions and calling them weeds simply because they wish to have a perfectly green yard. Also, I personally have never understood the removal of beneficial wild flowers and herbs just to plant a garden full of toxic flowers. I could write an entirely separate essay about the benefits are wild growth alone. One day I just might!
For now, let’s focus on our under appreciated little benefactors. Humans do also purposely cause harm from time to time. This is usually driven by fear. People who are afraid of bees and/or allergic tend to not want them around. Some go to great lengths to repel or even destroy them. This is why education is so important.
Bee Informed
Honestly most bees really aren’t interested in humans. Are you interested in people when you’re busy? Some species are a bit more friendly and curious, like Bumbles. Bumble bees rarely sting. They frighten people because they are big and noisy and therefore very noticeable and they like to get close. As long as you don’t act aggressively towards them, they make for lovely companions. I have even observed them playing. There’s really no other reason for the actions I observed other than because they found it fun or amusing in some way. Thus, I can only conclude Bumble Bees sometimes play.
Did you know you can bee-friend some bees? Bees can remember humans. They remember negative and positive experiences with certain humans anywhere from two days to a month! So yes, some bees might hold a grudge for a month. It’s probably just best to bee kind. Positive experiences can include being a food source. I don’t mean they eat you or any part of you. However, if you happen to share your sugary drink with a bee it may turn into a daily visit.
I Bee-seech You, Hear Me Out
My university had apiaries and I would walk past them daily on my way across campus to the café. Along the way I’d pick up a bee companion. This didn’t come at me aggressively, but instead seemed to be waiting for me. At first I thought I was imagining it, but every day a bee would seemingly wait for me to pass and then accompany me the rest of the way to the café. It wasn’t because I smelled good, but because I was kind to the bee. I didn’t try to shoo it away and I tend to be messy with my drinks and goodies so I guess the bee took the opportunity to enjoy my sugary crumbs and drips.
I have my own wild honey bees too. I allow wild growth around my property. I let berry bushes, herbs, wild flowers, and all manner of useful plants grow unhindered. This has drawn wild bees to my property which in turn has increased my harvest from my herbs, berry bushes, and veggies. I also allow honey suckle to grow all around my fence and hedge. It’s a myth that it will kill a hedge. My hedge thrives and the bees love the honey suckle.
Bee-fore You Go
Now don’t buzz off just yet. I promise I’m almost done bee-guiling you with both bee facts and bee puns. How about a quick list of interesting bee trivia in the spirit of World Bee Day;
- Bees have five eyes, two large and three small
- Bees are sensitive to vibrations and may or may not like some music
- Bees are related to ants, ants actually evolved from wasps and many people with wasp and/or bee allergies are also allergic to ants
- Some people are so severely allergic to bees they can’t ingest honey
- If you can eat honey, you may be able to build up a resistance to your allergy and if you’re not allergic to bees but you are allergic to pollen you may be able to build up a tolerance to that simply by have a cup of tea with honey once a day
- You can be allergic to bees, but not to wasps or ants, or you can be allergic to wasps and ants, but not bees. For example, I’m severely allergic to wasps and ants and require an epi pen. If an ant bites me, it leaves scars. However, I am not allergic to bees or bee venom products or honey and royal jelly.
- Royal jelly is very rich in vitamins and nutrients
- Bees are the only insect that provide sustenance to humans
Such Bee-coming Creatures
I hope you found this enlightening. Bees are truly magnificent little creatures who are severely under rated. Show your local bees some love by simply not reacting to them, not using harmful pesticides or other chemicals, and maybe allowing a bit of wild growth.
There are also several bee beneficial herbs and flowers that are just as beneficial to humans if you know how to use them. If you’re interested in improving your garden and potentially gaining a side hustle while simultaneously helping the environment and bee population, consider looking into hosting apiaries on your property. Most importantly bee mindful!
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