All the Buzz about Honeybees

While some people enjoy the summer for the lull in work, life, and vacations. There is one tiny little worker that ramps up. Buzzing from flower to flower this tiny bee is called a Honeybee. Although Honeybees are at most 15 mm they are mighty. They play a huge role in pollinating and producing honey. A very buzzworthy bee! An interesting fact is Honeybees are not native to North America, they were brought over by the early settlers from Europe. Honeybees like most people during the summer are social beings. They can live and work together in their colony or hive. Pollination is critical to our ecosystem. According to Honey Bee Health (n.d.) Honeybees "play a vital role in New York State's agriculture economy. Each year, thousands of bee colonies are used throughout the state to pollinate more than $300 million worth of agricultural crops such as apples, grapes, and pumpkins. New York is home to more than 60,000 of the bee colonies used each year, while additional colonies are shipped in from other regions of the country to make up the remainder."

Putting in the work for Honey

Did you know Honeybees collect nectar and pollen from flowers? Afterwards, both are stored in the hive where nectar is converted to honey, and pollen is fermented into bee bread. As stated by Why Is Pollination Important? (2022) " Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals. Visits from bees and other pollinators also result in larger, more flavorful fruits and higher crop yields. In the United States alone, pollination of agricultural crops is valued at 10 billion dollars annually."

Top Five Plants to Plant to Attract Pollinators for Summer

-Fireweed -Sunflowers -Zinnas -Mint (can be any type) -Early Goldenrod

Check out this article called "Best Native Plants for Honey Bees" to see the best plants all year round.

Zooming in on our Busy Bees! All photos below and throughout this blog post were taken by me!

Which color Zinna is your Favorite?

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References

Activities, D. K. L. &. (2022, June 29). Honeybees. DNR Kids Learning & Activities. https://www.in.gov/dnr/kids/animals/insects/honeybees/#:~:text=Honeybees%20collect%20nectar%20and%20pollen

Honey Bee Health. (n.d.). Agriculture and Markets. Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://agriculture.ny.gov/plant-industry/honey-bee-health

Learn About Honey Bees. (n.d.). Center for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER). Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://ciber.ucr.edu/learn-about-honey-bees

Why is Pollination Important? (2022, December 12). US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/importance#:~:text=Of%20the%201%2C400%20crop%20plants

Younger, M. (2017, April 3). Best Native Plants for Honey Bees. NATIVE NY Gardens. https://www.nativenygardens.com/best-native-plants-for-honey-bees