Why Are Bees Beneficial to the Environment?
90% of the feral bee population in the United States is extinct. In the Netherlands bee variety is down 80% in the sites researched, and bee species are already becoming extinct in Britain. The amounts of grown wildflowers that depend on pollination have dropped by 70%. If bees continue to die out, then so would the crops they support. That would lead to a major food crisis. Bees are not the only pollinators, but if this is already happening to bees, then it should be happening to other insects too. So much depends on the insects in the food chains, and we can expect a lot of negatives changes in the environment. Albert Einstein apparently once said, "When the bees disappear, we will have 4 more years to live. That may be dramatic, but the effects will be drastic nevertheless". Follow the following link to watch a video showing colony collapse disorder:
Beekeepers
Beekeeping means to manage colonies of bees that are used to produce honey and pollinate crops. A beekeeper can also be called an apiarist or apiculturist. Beekeeping is said to have began in the Middle East. The Egyptians kept bees and traded the honey and beeswax along the coast of East Africa. Beekeepers had to kill the bees to collect the honey, until 1851 when Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth discovered "bee space". This means that bees leave spaces of about 0.6 cm between their wax combs. Mr. Langstroth's discovery meant that no bees would die and beekeepers could collect the honey and wax without killing the entire colony. Beekeepers earn money from selling the honey and beeswax that their bees produce, but something that is more important than honey and wax, is pollination. In some countries, the beekeepers get paid to let their bees pollinate the fruit and vegetable plants for farmers. The bees play an important role in the economy and the environment. Beehives need a lot of water and a good supply of nectar and pollen. For this reason they are usually kept somewhere where nectar-producing plants such as clover or eucalyptus are in abundance. Some beekeepers have beehives that can be transported to various locations. All beekeepers have standard equipment. These are boxes that consist of ten comb frames. These hives are called the Langstroths hives.
Jokes and Poems
Q: Who is the bees' favorite singer?
A: Sting!
Q: Who is the bees favorite pop group?
A: The bee gees!
Q: What do you get if you cross a bee with a skunk?
A: An animal that stinks and stings!
Q: What does a queen bee do when she burps?
A: Issues a royal pardon!
Q: How does a queen bee get around her hive?
A: She's throne!
Q: What does the bee Santa Claus say?
A: Ho hum hum!
Q: Why do bees hum?
A: Because they've forgotten the words!
Q: What kind of bees hum and drop things?
A: A fumble bee!
Q: What did the bee say to the flower?
A: Hello honey!
Q: What's a bees favorite flower?
A: A bee-gonias!
Q: Why did the bees fly with their legs crossed?
A: They couldn't find a BP station.
I eat my peas with honey
I've done it all my life
It makes the peas taste funny
But it keeps on the knife!
- Bennett