Wordy Wednesday: Plight of the Bumblebee

With the kids back in school this week, I thought I would do an educational post. A public service announcement if you will. Do you like apples, pears, or peaches? How about cucumbers, broccoli or onions? Pumpkins, squash or carrots? Blueberries, avocados, almonds or cherries? How about wearing cotton clothes? All of these crops, and more, must be pollinated by honeybees.

Approximately 30% of our food sources directly or indirectly depend upon pollination by bees.

Bees are the only insect that produces a food consumed by humans. Hives produce more honey than a bee colony needs to survive. About 80 pounds extra each year. Fermented honey, known as Mead, is the most ancient fermented beverage. The term "honey moon" originated with the ancient practise of consumming large quantities of Mead during the first month of a marriage. That honey contains vitamins such as B6, C, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Honey also has anitoxidants which help to delay damage to our cells and tissues.

Honey is an ancient remedy for treating infected wounds because of its antimicrobial properties.

People use beeswax to make candles, lipsticks, lotions, shoe polish, crayons, chewing gum, and floor wax. In the past sculptors used bleached bee’s wax to hide mistakes in their sculptures. The best sculptors were proud to say their statues were “sine cera,” or without wax. This is where we get the word “sincere.” (Hey, I even added a Latin lesson into your bee education.)

Even with all these cool and amazing traits of bees, my children still run in terror from them. How about you? How do you try to calm your children when they see a bee? Or are you running with them?