3 / 23 / 22 , 9:36 AM Learn How to Protect These Tiny , Important Pollinators During National Honey Bee Day - City of Arlington
Learn How to Protect These Tiny , Important Pollinators During National Honey Bee Day
Learn How to Protect These Tiny , Important Pollinators During National Honey Bee Day By Melissa Walker , Environmental Education Specialist Posted on Friday , August 20 , 2021
Saturday , Aug . 21 is National Honey Bee Day . Although the Western Honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) was brought to America in the 1600s by European colonists and isn ’ t a native bee to Texas , these honey bees produce products which are collected and used by people for food , household products , and various nutritional and medicinal purposes . Honey , pollen , royal jelly , beeswax , propolis and venom are all economically important agricultural products . According to the 2019 USDA honey report , US consumption of honey was 554 million pounds which is about 1.69 pounds per person . Production of domestic honey was valued at $ 309.14 million , which only accounts for 32 % of the honey consumed in the US .
US agriculture depends on pollinators of all kinds but especially honey bees which help pollinate 50 different food crops valued at over $ 20 billion . Many food crops are completely dependent on honey bees . For example , 80 % of the world ’ s almonds are produced in California . Almond producers are entirely dependent on over 1.8 million honey bee colonies for pollination services . Other crops like apples , avocados , blueberries , cherries , cranberries and sunflower are 90 % dependent on honey bees .
Honey bees are also important to local community gardens , small farmers and home gardens . Honey bees are generalist pollinators , which means they will collect pollen from a variety of flowering plants . Using honey bees for their pollination services is an economically smart decision since they can be used for a wide variety of fruits , vegetables and garden flowers .
It is important to learn how to protect honey bees , since 1 / 3 of the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees . Honey bee colonies face many threats . Greater and Lesser Wax Moths , Varroa Mites , Tracheal Mites , American Foulbrood bacteria and Colony Collapse Disorder all pose a threat to honey bee populations . Activities by people can be harmful as well . Overuse of chemicals in our landscapes can harm beneficial insects like the
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