Support Your Local Beekeeper

Facebook has gotten to be a pretty messy place. But just when I'm ready to call it quits, someone posts something that piques my curiosity.

Photo by Suzi Blakly. (Used with permission.)

Enter Suzi Blakly, latter day beekeeper.

I've been following Suzi's progress as she did the pre-planning and then purchased her first hive. (And she has the suit, to boot!)

Intrigued by her new hobby, I started to do a little reading on the subject of bees. Years ago, I read The Secret Life of Bees, but that's about the only time I've read anything remotely related to our yellow and black striped neighbors.

With the Google as my guide, here is what I've learned. (Suzi, if I've gotten anything wrong, please feel free to correct me, and I'll make it right.)

First off, it's the girls who rule the hive...and do all of the work. The queen bee sees to the population of the hive. The worker bees (also female) clean, feed the baby bees, guard the place, pack pollen and nectar into cells, fan the hive to cool it, and, of course, go out into the world to gather the goods. The drones are the only males. Their job is to knock up the queen. That's it. While guys in general might think this is a pretty cushy job, the downside is that once they've shot their wad (so to speak), they die. (I can hear Mr. Ginley say, "Ya, but what a way to go!" Duly noted.)

There has been a lot of buzz lately (you know I had to work that in somewhere) about what the experts are calling "colony collapse disorder." A new variety of pesticide called neonicotinoids (neonics for short) is killing bees in record numbers. The neonics replaced a pesticide which was considered unsafe for human consumption. The problem with the neonics is that they don't evaporate as quickly as their predecessor, and are thus lethal longer.

Also contributing to the loss of hives is that we've paved paradise (and put up a parking lot). Rural areas are shrinking, as are the natural bee habitats.

If you think we can do just fine without bees, here is what you need to know.

It is estimated that one third of the food we eat is thanks to the efforts of bees. In China, where bees are virtually extinct, crops have to be pollinated by hand.

One other fun fact. The pesticides you put on your lawn remain for three years. Also, if you buy your flowers from a big box store and think you are doing right by the bees, you may need to take a closer look. Many of these plants are sold pre-treated with neonics to reduce the risk of disease.

More things I've learned...if you can, it's best to buy your honey from a local artisan. "Organic" honey means nothing. The resulting product comes from many countries and colonies, which affects the taste and health benefits of the honey. When shopping, look for honey that is non-heated and non-transformed.

The farmer's market will be coming back to my neighborhood soon, and, as I recall, there was a honey supplier there last year. I hope she returns, because I'm ready to go for the real thing.

No more plastic honey bears for me!