If we were to ask you, “what is the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about August,” what would you say? More than likely, you’d say something regarding the warm summer days we’ve been experiencing. You might think about swimming pools, barbecues or campfires, but would you think about honey bees
Saturday, August 19, is National Honey Bee Awareness Day. The official celebration was created by beekeepers in 2009 to promote and educate the public on the bee industry. Whether or not, you are an aspiring beekeeper or just love the delicious taste of honey, we thought it was the perfect time to honor our favorite pollinators. Let’s prepare for the celebration with a few buzz-worthy fun facts:
- A honey bee’s wings stroke incredibly fast, at an estimated 200 beats per second, which is what creates their distinctive buzzing sound.
- A colony of bees is made up of anywhere between 20,000 and 60,000 honeybees and one queen.
- The queen is the busiest bee; her role is to fill the hive with eggs. In the summer months, she can lay up to 2500 eggs per day.
- Honey bees communicate with one another through the art of dance. They perform a “waggle” dance, which tells the other bees where they can find food. See the surprising complexity of the dance.
- A hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles, equivalent to three trips around planet earth to collect one kilogram of honey.
- In her lifetime, the average worker bee will only produce 1/12th teaspoon of honey. Doesn’t that fact make every taste of honey that much sweeter?
- A honey bee is the only insect that produces food eaten by humans. Approximately 35 percent of America’s crops depend on bees in some regard.
There are several different ways you can honor the honey bee this weekend. Consider using honey as an alternative to sugar or try a new recipe with the sweet nectar as a key ingredient. How will you celebrate?