Bee Better

A blog to raise awareness about bees for the betterment of bees.

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Benefits of Honey Consumption

Realfoodforlife.com lists the following 9 beneficial traits that honey consumption has on the human body.

1. Prevent cancer and heart disease

2. Reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders.

3. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal

4. Increase athletic performance

5. Reduces a cough and throat irritation

6. Blood sugar regulation

7. Heal wounds and burns

8. Probiotic

9. Strengthen the immune system

(10 Health Benefits of Honey, 2018)

Here’s the thing, realfoodforlife.com is not the only resource that agrees honey has healing properties. www.healthline.com, draxe.com, www.well-beingsecrets.com, www.medicaldaily.com, and several other sources back up the claims to fame honey makes.

I could stop this post here and let you contemplate the reality of the list I have produced above, but I won't. Surprisingly, these 9 things are not the only benefits of honey. Personally, I have used honey as an additive to homemade lip balm. It is a fantastic binding agent, naturally sticks to one’s lips, and tastes amazing. Growing up, my mother would put a small amount of honey in a warm bath to help soothe itchy or irritated skin. I have friends who have used honey as a base ingredient for face masks. And, honey and peanut butter sandwiches are a MUST try.

Over the past nine weeks, I have explained many aspects of a honey bee’s life and why/how we should protect these precious insects. These little guys spend their whole life pollinating crops that we can eat, they produce honey which we can use, and help flowers bloom which we find pretty. They are arguably amazing insects. Please help to stand up for these creatures who are just trying their best to help make your life better. Join the cause. Raise awareness. Help protect our furry looking friends!

10 Health Benefits of Honey http://www.realfoodforlife.com/health-benefits-of-honey/ (accessed Mar 26, 2018).

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Commercial Beekeeping

I would venture to guess that most people do not know how much work it takes to create the food that finds its way to a family dining room table. Obviously, there are the commonly known things like planning, harvesting, transporting the food, displaying it in a store, and all the supply chain work in-between. But something many people probably do not consider is the effort it takes to pollinate the crops. With seasonal changes, industrial and residential sprawl and the plethora of other factors that have caused natural honey bee populations to plummet the agricultural sector of commercial pollination has needed to step up its game.

“Commercial beekeeping delivers 15 to 20 billion in economic value for agriculture each year.” (The Roaming Life, 2017). This is a staggering statistic presented by ModernAg.com and it shows just how important commercial beekeeping has become. ModernAg.com continues to say, “The modern-day beekeeper lives part of the year on the road, traveling from state to state serving the many fruit, vegetable, and nut farms in need of honey bee pollination.” (The Roaming Life, 2017). These beekeepers travel thousands of miles every year to ensure crops are pollinated and families are fed.

A beekeeper’s journey takes them from the almond groves of California to the blueberry fields of Maine and everywhere in-between. Constant transport is hard on the honey bees and the keepers often experience bee population drops during transport. Through skill, expertise, and constant care, the beekeepers keep the husbandry of their populations up high enough to maintain their business.

Commercial beekeeping is drastically different from its hobby beekeeping counterpart, but both are vital to the continuation of the species and the survival of mankind and our current food source attainment practices.

The Roaming Life of a Commercial Beekeeper https://modernag.org/biodiversity/commercial-beekeeping-in-agriculture/ (accessed Mar 26, 2018).

Zophia Raleigh. BeeCentric Welcome Mat. Personal Photograph. (accessed March 26, 2018).

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How To Be A Beekeeper

Let me start by giving a huge thank you to BetterBee at www.betterbee.com based out of Greenwich, NY for having a wonderful website tutorial to help describe the steps to becoming a beekeeper!

It is common knowledge that hobby beekeeping is intensely growing in popularity. The Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association alone has over 400 members (Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association, 2018). Now, it is fantastic that so many people are learning to love our fuzzy looking black and yellow friends, but to start beekeeping takes moxie and dedication and is NOT for the faint of heart.

BetterBee suggests that the first step to becoming a beekeeper is to evaluate if you are willing to care for your bees. In a lot of ways, having bees is like having a pet. They need you to watch them to make sure they don’t get sick, make sure they have enough food in the winter, keep them clean, and ensure they have adequate access to pollen-bearing plants. Now, if you are willing to take the time to raise your hive and care for it, even when its cold out, then beekeeping could be great for you!

Once this decision is made, the process can really start. First, research your community’s beekeeping laws to ensure you are legally allowed to have bees where you plan to put your apiary (bee house). It is also a good idea to talk to your neighbors. Especially if they live near you! Next, find out where you can get bees in your area. BetterBee suggests finding local beekeepers and reserving your bees since they are usually only available in the spring (Becoming a Beekeeper, 2018). Once you have your future colony secured, it is time to get all the materials. You will need an apiary for your bees, a smoker, hive tool, and personal protection (honey bees still sometimes sting).

Follow the instructions that come with the apiary you buy and set up your colony’s home. It is also a good idea to join a Beekeeping for Beginners type course (the University of Minnesota offers several courses a year), conduct research, and talk to current beekeepers to be fully prepared to care for your bees.

In the end, the more you put into taking care of them, the more they will be able to help you and our environment. Good luck!

Becoming a Beekeeper https://www.betterbee.com/become-a-beekeeper/. (accessed March 21, 2018).

Home Page https://www.mnbeekeepers.com/. (accessed March 21, 2018).

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Spring Break Plans? Florida Bees Want To Say Hi!

In tribute to the spring break mindset that the first few weeks of March brings about, let’s talk about an issue Florida runs into with its honey bee population.

Florida has honey bees, but they also have Africanized Honey Bees. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services explains the situation Floridians are faced with when it comes to bees. The bee population in Florida is made up of both docile honey bees, like those the northern states have, and aggressive honey bees that came from Africa. Here is a tidbit from their website article on the matter.

“(African Honey Bees) were brought to Brazil in the 1950’s for testing as possible alternative pollinators and honey producers because of their reputation of being hardy in tropical environments. At the time, their defensive nature and ability to reproduce in greater numbers were not well understood. Some were accidentally released and have spread throughout South and Central America, Mexico and the southern U.S.” (Westervelt, 2018).

It is now understood that Africanized Honey Bees are far more aggressive and defensive than “regular” honey bees. What does this mean? Simply, it means that when you are in Florida or other southern areas on spring break, know that when you see a cute, fuzzy honey bee it could possibly want to attack you as if it were an evil, mean wasp. Be careful, watch where you walk, and know the native versus invasive species of the area you are visiting.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also suggests that if you are stung by a bee and think it may be an African Honey Bee to immediately seek medical attention if needed. They also suggest that when stung, run quickly away from where you are with your hands covering your face and get to safety. Suggested “safe” locations would include: a car with shut windows, a house, a mystical land far far away, or a building with closed doors and windows. From there, assess your stings and if possible call a licensed pest control company because African Honey Bees are not to be treated nicely the way “regular” honey bees are.

Westervelt, D. African Honey Bee https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Pests-Diseases/African-Honey-Bee.

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How Do Honey Bees Survive in the Winter?

Now here’s a fascinating concept! How the heck do cute little honey bees stay alive in the cold, harsh winters of a state like Minnesota? The process is quite simple really. It all starts with the summer. Bees spend the entire warm period of the year gathering pollen and turning it into honey in their hives. When winter rolls around they (hopefully) have relatively large supplies of honey built up and can munch on their reserves throughout the cold season.

Honey bees that live in apiaries have the help of beekeepers to ensure they have enough honey to survive, but wild bees only have as much honey as they produced prior to winter (This is part of the reason why it is so important that we help these little ladies out by planting flowers and not spraying pesticides). Debbie Hadley of ThoughtCo. wrote the article How Do Honey Bees Survive the Winter and mentioned that worker honey bees are female (so is the queen obviously #girlpower). She also goes on to state that throughout the winter honey bees, unlike other insects, spend the entire winter in a “winter huddle” with their queen bee in the center. This huddle then shivers continuously to produce enough heat to keep the entire colony warm. By rotating from outside to inside, the worker bees take turns shivering on the outside and eating honey on the inside of the huddle so no one bee becomes too cold or too hungry. This process allows the bees to survive the winter. Interesting, these girls can even raise the temperature of the center of the huddle up to 93 degrees (F) (Hadley, 2017).

Yet again honey bees prove to have a few tricks up their sleeves to survive what most insects and animals alike would consider inhabitable winter climate conditions. Just think, bears hibernate, birds migrate, and people hide in their homes, now who is the tough species?

As always, please leave a comment, question, or general inquire if you would like, and remember Always Bee Better. Take strides to be cool like bees and stay warm this winter!

Hadley, D. How Do Honey Bees Survive the Winter? https://www.thoughtco.com/how-honey-bees-keep-warm-winter-1968101 (accessed March 11, 2018).

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I Found a Swarm. What Do I Do?

The answer is quite simple, call a beekeeper. Often, people think that the nuisance of a bee colony is worth calling an exterminator for and this truly is not the case. An exterminator will charge you for the visit, will spray poison onto the hive killing the bees, and often will not clean up the left-over comb. Granted, the last part may not always be the case, but the needless killing of innocent honey bees is rather unnecessary.

A huge reason (outside of killing helpful honey bees, of course) to not want an exterminator is the fact that if they do not remove the comb in the process it can mold. When the bees die, there is no longer anything using the leftover honey. The honey can then drip into your house (if the comb is attached to it) and cause structural and aesthetic damage. The best part? They honey contains all the absorbed poison left from the original extermination, so when your dog eats the pieces that fall, they can get sick. Also, any bees from other hives that may be attracted to the leftover comb could be killed by eating the honey or could destroy their home hive by bringing the infected honey back with them. Overall, the entire mess is avoidable.

In the state of Minnesota, an easy resource to utilize is the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association (www.mnbeekeepers.com). On the front page of their website, they list the following phone number, 651-436-7915, to call if you need honey bee removal assistance. If this number or site does not work for your needs, please Google other bee safe alternatives. Often, the beekeepers are trained on how to remove the bees and the comb. This can be an amazing alternative that will still solve your problem of unwanted honey bees.

Everyone doing their share to help the planet thrive, one choice at a time. Make your choice count.

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Fighting the Good Fight

Have you ever felt as though you are alone in the fight for something that means a lot? Well, bees don’t have to feel that way anymore. There are groups like the Ontario Bee Keepers for Bee Rescue that are dedicated to providing sanctuary for these helpful little insects. The opening of their website even states, “Ontario Bee Rescue is dedicated to saving the honeybees and the humane removal and relocation of honey bee swarms and established honeybee colonies within Ontario, Canada” (Home, 2018). Basically what this statement means, is a coalition of beekeepers have come together for the wellbeing and continued survival of honeybee populations.

One of the huge issues that honeybees face is their comb building locations. In the past, they were able to set up shop almost anywhere they chose. Have it be a tree, a cliff, a random rock wall, it didn’t matter because their main contender was having their honey eaten by a predator. Now, when they choose to make their humble abode be located on someone’s fence, house, child’s plaything a problem is created. People often think they are wasps and try to destroy them. The Ontario Bee Keepers are just one organization that has stepped up to help educate the public and provide humane removal services.

When a honeybee comb is discovered in an unpleasant place, Ontario Bee Keepers and other such organizations can be called to remove the comb. Artfully, the comb is removed and the bees can be relocated to a “licensed apiary bee sanctuary” (Home, 2018). By doing this, the bees are able to continue living their happy little lives, pollinating and helping feed the world, but now in a place that also makes people happier. It truly is a win-win situation.

This coming summer, if you see a honeybee comb (view attached photo for the difference between a honeybee comb and a wasp nest) reach out to your community’s rescue service and give your neighborhood bees a chance of survival.

Home Page http://www.ontariobeerescue.com/bee-rescue-list.html. (accessed February 21, 2018).

The Difference - Hornets Nest and Honey Bees. Ontario Bee Rescue. Ontariobeerescue.com. (accessed February 21, 2018).

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Roadside Ditches and Bees

It is common knowledge that the world is experiencing a decline in the number of pollinators, namely bumble bees, honey bees, and even monarch butterfly populations. Not only are the numbers of these insects declining, but so are the variations in species. Let’s investigate a way that we can help these friendly insects make a comeback!

As you’re driving down a freeway, highway, or even a backroad; have you ever looked over at the ditches and wondered why they are filled with wild plants? Personally, I have seen ditches filled with beautiful wildflowers.

The wild plants that live and flourish in the ditches need to be pollinated. This pollination is done by bees and other helpful insects, but when all the plants are cut (many people clear out ditches to make them more visually appealing) this natural resource is destroyed. The US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration released an article detailing the best management practices for aiding in the continued survival of pollinators and they stated, “Pollinators are critical to our food supply as well as to the health of ecosystems” (Roadside 2015). Protecting the insects that help keep humans alive should be of paramount importance.

Our lives depend on pollination. Without pollination, we would not have access to fresh fruit, grains, vegetables, and basically everything else that we get to call food. Why would people do anything to hurt pollinators? The answer is simple really. People often lose sight of what is important in life by looking too closely at what they want in the present. Ditches are a great example of this. Clearing out ditches makes the “now” more aesthetically pleasing in many cases, but in the long-run often does not impact the person directly. On the other hand, clearing out the ditch hurts pollinators in the long-run while doing nothing to help them in the present.

Take a moment and think about what things you are doing in the present and how they impact the future. Saving the bees is more than just a today thing, it is a forever thing. So, before you vote at the next town meeting to clear-cut all ditches, think about the implications that action has on your long-term livelihood and the survival of a true keystone species.  

Roadside Best Management Practices that Benefit Pollinators: Handbook for Supporting Pollinators through Roadside Maintenance and Landscape Design; rep.; Federal Highway Administration, 2015.

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What’s the Difference Between Honey Bees and Wasps?

It is important to note that there are several differences between bees, honey or bumble, and wasps. As the picture from www.nzbees.net depicts, the main differences that are easily identifiable can be attributed to their outer appearance and disposition. Bees are usually classified as gentle, they are determined to create honey and pollinate plants. Wasps, on the other hand, are more interested in food and protecting their nest.

When people think “bee” it is common for them to think of the flying insect that circles garbage cans, family picnics, and caused them to get an itchy painful sore as a child. The insects that do these things are wasps. Bee, in general, usually don’t bother people. They are more concerned with providing pollen to their hive and creating enough honey t,o survive the winter.

The main aesthetic difference between bees and wasps, also shown in the picture, is their outer appearance. Bees are typically described as being “fluffy” or “furry” looking. This is because the hairs on the outside of their body are designed to pick up excess pollen to help transport it to as many plants as possible and then back to their hive. While wasps have what looks like a shiny exoskeleton. They are designed more as an attack insect set up for self-survival and protection of their nest. They also have pronounced stingers ready to attack at a moment’s notice whether provoked or not.

A simple way to think of the difference between these two insects is to consider a honey bee as your family pet only there to help and a wasp as the vicious attack dog your neighbor had as a child.

If you would like to comment on my post or if you have anything to add, I would be happy to facilitate a conversation about this topic to aid in group learning.

  Identifying the difference between bees and wasps.https://www.nzbees.net/forums/topic/7774-identifying-the-difference-between-bees-and-wasps/ (accessed Feb 9, 2018).

EarthRangers.com. Helpful hints to tell the difference between bees and wasps. https://www.nzbees.net/forums/topic/7774-identifying-the-difference-between-bees-and-wasps/.(Accessed February 9, 2018).

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Welcome to Bee Better

Welcome to Bee Better, my goal with this blog is to help educate about the current environmental issues faced by honey bees. Through weekly posts, the history, livelihood, and issues faced by honey bees will be discussed to raise awareness of the stress that bees are facing. The first important distinction that needs to be made upfront is the difference between bees and wasps. Bees are “furry” looking while wasps have a hard exoskeleton, bees make honey and help pollinate plants while wasps sting people and are mean. More posts will come to continue explaining the major difference between these two flying insects.

I look forward to the journey ahead and being an advocate for bee communities. Join me every week for educational posts, random bee information, and more. Please feel free to ask questions, suggest information, or to direct message me. Let’s Bee Better together!