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LIFESTYLE

20 MAY

WORLD

BEE DAY

by Natasha Lyon

orld Bee Day was on 20 May and LYON
RAW Artisan Honey is committed
Wto creating awareness of our honey
bees and their worldwide decline. We simply
cannot sustain our food resources without
the crucial work of pollinators, of which honey
bees are the most important. Please help our
honey bees by saying NO to harmful pesticides.
Instead, explore companion planting to
manage garden pests. Delay pruning of shrubs
and trees until after owering and remember
that many weeds are a great source of pollen
and nectar.

Buzzing bees is one of my favourite sounds,
reminding me of tasting those rst golden
drops straight from the honeycomb and the
glorious scent of fresh honey. It is however
the bee’s role as pollinator that is of such
vital importance. These little miracle workers
are the world’s most important pollinators So yes, it is possible for our honey bees to die protein whilst nectar provides carbohydrates
and, according to the Food and Agricultural out entirely. The question is; can we a ord for for honey bees.
Organisation of the UN, 78%-92% of the Earth’s this to happen?? • Some weeds are wonderful bee food so it
ower and seed-producing plants depend on may be fun to create a ‘’weed bee sanctuary’’
bees (and other pollinators) for their survival. HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP SAVE spot in your garden.
OUR HONEY BEES • Plant for bees. Nathalie Strassburg has a
The honey bee is the most important single • Please say NO to pesticides. Even “bee wonderful website which is worth a visit
species for crop pollination, responsible for friendly” chemicals which do not kill the www.medicinegarden.co.za Her website
pollinating two-thirds of the world’s food honey bees on contact are harmful. Research includes useful information on companion
resources for humankind. If you enjoy apples, suggests that these chemicals may interfere planting.
berries, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, stone with the honey bee’s ability to navigate and • Support our beekeepers by paying fair prices
fruit and avocados – to mention but a few – may also a ect the development of the baby for honest, real honey. It takes many trips to
you have our honey bees to thank. Some crops, bees. Rather, explore companion planting to apiary sites and hours of labour to tend to
including blueberries and cherries, are 90% manage garden pests. honey bees. Public donations to support our
dependent on honey bee pollination while • Allow owers to bloom before pruning beekeeping industry can also be made to
almonds are entirely dependent on the honey hedges or shrubs. Pollen is a source of SABIO (website below).
bee. Sadly, our honey bees are dying o at an
alarming rate. Loss of habitat, lack of foraging,
diseases, alien bee invasions, and the overuse
of pesticides are some of the causes for their
sharp decline.

At a honey bee talk, a little girl asked me if it
was possible for honey bees to die out entirely.
Let me tell you a Hanyuan County story. In the
south Sichuan province of China, Hanyuan
is home to pear orchards which carpet the
mountains down into the valleys. This region
is entirely dependent on this crop. And it isn’t
the honey bees they have to thank. In fact, the
honey bees died out due to uncontrolled use
of pesticides in the 1980s. They lost their entire
bee population. Now in April each year, the
pollination of each blossom is done by hand.
Needless to say, humans are far less e cient
pollinators than honey bees. Labourers stand
on ladders and use a long bamboo stick, with
feathers attached to the end, to transfer pollen
from one blossom to the next.

22 • Issue 2 2020 • BLUE VALLEY NEWS