"If you ever do anything with bees, once you start, you’re hooked. You’ll be doing them from now on, because they’re so fascinating. I’ve got the bees back on a strip [mine] job, my son’s property, which is a good place to have it, because they’ve got plenty clover. They’ve reseeded it good in clover, and things that the bees really like. It worked out real good, and it’s built up now until it’s become a job, instead of a hobby. The bees are fascinating. They’ve got a structure, a hierarchy that they follow. We still make beehives and things as they did back in Biblical times. We’re losing our bees. People in the United States don’t understand what’s happening with the bees. Two years ago, in the United States, we lost eighteen percent of our bees. Last year, we lost forty percent of our bees. This year, we’re on track to lose fifty percent of our bees. If we lose our bees, you’re going to lose your fruit, and lose your nuts, because that’s what does your pollination. I’ve lost eight hives already this year." Teddy W. Ratliff (they call me ‘Ted’ around here), Retired Military, Bee Keeper and Owner/Uncle Ted’s Honey; Thornton, Kentucky, Letcher County. 👉 page link in profile 👈 #centralappalachia #appalachia #appalachian #kentucky #easternkentucky #letchercounty #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #allaboutthebees #honey #appalachianpride