August 20, 2021
Celebrate National Honeybee Day With These Tips
Saturday, August 21 is National Honeybee Day!
You might be wondering - why do we need a day for an insect whose leisurely fly-by can cause picnickers to scatter in seconds? Because honeybees will ONLY sting when threatened and we like the diverse food that's made possible by the delicate balance between our plants and the pollination capabilities of the humble honeybee.
Most plants need pollinators to reproduce because they take pollen from flower to flower to fertilize the plant which later produces fruit and seeds. Honeybees aren’t the only pollinators, but they are amazingly efficient at it, potentially pollinating more than 2,000 flowers in one day.
But if they’re only doing what they were designed to do … why all the fuss with a national holiday? It’s because they’re a vital part of our ecosystem and they’re in decline. According to State Apiarist Keith Tignor, honeybees are essential pollinators for about one-third of Virginia's fruit and vegetable crops. Honeybees keep our crops and earth healthy, but in recent years their population has declined by billions due to things like parasites, pesticides, and big business farming where a lack of diverse crops prevents bees from having a varied diet.
You can help bring our bee population back. Here are some tips from planetbee.org and honeylove.org:
Put out a water feeder for bees
Bees need to hydrate and take fresh water back to their hives. Watch for bees to do a waggle dance in the water. You’re seeing communication with their fellow bees to share their newfound oasis.
Plant pollinator-friendly plants
Bees like having a variety of plants to choose from. Planting an herb garden or variety of flowers native to your area will make your bees happy.
Help save urban bees
If you know of an established hive that needs to be removed, find a live-bee removal and re-homing service in your area rather than using pesticides. Fun fact: Cox field technicians routinely come across hives in our telecommunications pedestals. In partnership with pollinator organizations such as Bee Downtown, we've saved approximately 7.2 million honeybees by relocating them safely rather than calling in an exterminator.
