Save the Honey Bee!

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to assist my grandparents with “robbing” the honey bees. We suited up & went into the hive, checking to see how full the honeycombs were. My grandmother hadn’t been into the hives in about 2 years, so it was time. I actually enjoyed the experience and hearing my grandfather’s stories about the bees his family raised when he was young was just icing on the cake. It was somewhat productive – we probably harvested enough honey to fill about 4 quart jars. The following photo shows two types of bee hives that are very common. The first (labeled “A”) is only a “main hive” whereas the second (labeled “B”) is the main hive with a “super”.



My grandmother has 1 hive with a super and we only checked the super for honey. The combs were about half full. My job was to keep the smoker going – not an easy task! We were both in head to toe bee suits and boots. To protect our heads & necks, we wore hats with a mesh covering that zipped to our suits. It was about 90 degrees and sunny that day, so we were very warm! My grandmother prefers to go into the hives in the middle of the day, as most of the worker bees will be out of the hive & pollinating flowers at that time. The reason we didn’t rob the main hive is because food is scarce in the Winter, so leaving some honey gives the bees something to feed on during those difficult months and will help maintain their health.

A couple of weeks ago I came across a special documentary on the Planet Green channel, called “The Last Beekeeper”. The documentary addresses the Colony Collapse Disorder (aka CCD) epidemic that has been devastating beekeepers (commercial and individual alike) throughout the entire US. You may have heard about the epidemic through Haagen Dazs. They have been raising money to assist with research on this issue for years (you can visit their website to learn more about their work – www.helpthehoneybees.com). Without honey bees – many things that we know and love would not exist. Honeybees pollinate everything from nut trees, pears and berries to much much more. Without honey bees, not only would the ice cream industry collapse, so would many other industries. Aside from pollination – honey itself is one of the greatest medicinal products in nature. Have you ever tried adding a spoonful of honey to a hot cup of lemon tea when you are sick? It makes you feel better & helps combat what ails you. Honey is a natural energy booster, it holds anti-bacterial and antimicrobial properties and also assists those who suffer from arthritis. Bees can also do this, as when you are stung the bee releases a venom which has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain – this type of therapy is not recommended to those who are or may be allergic to bee stings. See http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/ for more information on the benefits of honey.

The bottom line is, honey bees are too important to lose to this unknown epidemic. The population of honey bees declined by 1.5 million hives in one decade (from 4 million in 1980 to 2.5 million in 1990) and have been steadily decreasing ever since.

You can do something simple to help honey bees without owning your own hive. Plant things like Bee Balm and other “bee friendly plants” amidst your gardens (I recommend this only if you are not allergic). This will attract bees to pollinate your garden and provide them with the nutrition they need to help fight diseases. To read more on Colony Collapse Disorder & other plants you can add to your garden to help the bees – visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572 – to see the US Dept. of Agriculture’s published information regarding honey bees and CCD.