Bees really are important
Ah, summer. The sun shining on your face, a delicious snack of berries at your side, some pesky bee buzzing in your ear. What you may not be aware of is exactly how important that “pesky” bee is in helping bring that scrumptious berry plate to your table.
Believe it or not, there is a lot more to bees (with this article concerned about honeybees in particular) than their identity as a summertime nuisance. Bees actually contribute significantly to many industries, including agricultural, medical, and retail. As a summer student with the Ontario Beekeeper’s Association, I have been lucky enough to land a position that sees my days spent learning about and interacting with these surprisingly fascinating creatures. I do believe people are under-informed of their importance, and I would love to enlighten our readers on the many contributions of honeybees.
Honey – Perhaps the most obvious honeybee product, but delicious nonetheless! Honey is a staple ingredient in countless food products, including pastries and alcohol -yes, alcohol! The fermentation of honey, combined with varying preparation processes, creates a satisfying product called mead, which is available in many flavours.
Wax – Everybody knows about beeswax candles, which are useful and fun to make. But beeswax is also used in a multitude of other everyday items, including in polishers and cosmetics. So, next time you freshen up for a night on the town, bee thankful!
Apitherapy – Apitherapy is essentially the practice of using bee-derived products in the treatment of various maladies. From the conventional combat of skin infections with honey’s antibacterial properties to the rumoured anti-aging effects of queen-developing royal jelly, there are several established and purported applications of honeybee products that offer many benefits in dealing with our physical woes.
Pollination – This is likely the most important – and yet, overlooked – contribution of honeybees. The transfer of pollen between flowers is a crucial step in the successful fertilization of plants. A huge portion of what you eat every day can at least partially be attributed to the work of bees.
As you can see, the influence of honeybees on our lives goes far beyond the taste enhancer we put in our tea. Unfortunately, there have recently been significant declines in bee numbers, referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder; speculated to be due in large part to pesticides.
A certain class of pesticides in particular, neonicotinoids (commonly referred to as ‘neonics’), are currently being researched for their possible detriment to honeybees. It is the hope of those in the bee industry that we can arrive at some answers, and go forth accordingly in educating farmers, the government, and the public on what is happening to our bees and how we can fix it.
Until then, a cautious use of pesticides, along with a (hopefully) newfound respect for bees can be exercised. Because with bees, the world is just a little bit sweeter!