That honey post keeps coming across my dash. Bur as far as I know, in North America Honey bees are bad for the environment? Native bees are what we need and honey bees cause declines in their numbers. Google brings a lot of articles on this. Here is one from scientific America. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-problem-with-honey-bees/
I’m not sure which honey post you mean, there are quite a few floating around making claims about honey ‘saving the bees.’
When we’re talking about honey, it is important to remember that we are discussing managed hives of domesticated bees, most of whom are non-native and compete with natural pollinators for the same food sources. It is even thought they may be spreading disease to wild pollinators, too, who do a far better job of pollination than managed hives do. This is why research suggests where domesticated hives increase, wild bees decrease.
The best way to actually support wild pollinators and their ecosystem is to grow local, pollinator-friendly flowers and to provide them with natural habitats and constructed ones like bug boxes, which are widely available to buy and very easy to make. The claim that exploiting bees for profit is in some way good for bees or good for the environment is nothing but effective marketing.
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Beekeeping Myths & Facts
I'm just tired of seeing the myths being spread about beekeeping. I'll probs include some bonus facts for wasps and hornets too.
1. Myth: Bee smoke calms the bees.
This simply isn't how it works. The bee smoke causes bees to think there is a fire near the hive. Bees go to fill up on as much as honey as they can, and prepare to leave for a new home. They become too busy to mess with you doing this and resume normal life when the smoking stops.
2. Fact: It helps a hive to remove some honey.
Without the removal of some comb or honey, the bees will simply run out of room, especially for their larva. When a hive runs out of storage space, bees will abandon it and risk the dangers of swarming somewhere else. Taking some comb out stops this process.
3. Myth: Taking honey upsets the bees.
This is not true whatsoever. The interesting thing about beekeeping is that if a swarm doesn't like a beekeeper they'll simply leave. This doesn't mean bees won't sting or get defensive. It's important to know bees have a variety of temperaments.
4. Fact: Bees die after stinging.
Yes, it's true. Most bees perish after a hard sting. Their stingers are barbed. When they sting you the stinger stays put. In the meantime, the bee loses some of their innards and dies.
5. Myth: There's male and female bees.
This is a yes and a no. Bees do not have a human concept of gender. In fact, the gender roles we project onto bees aren't fully perfect either by our own standards too. Bees have three genders; queen, worker, and drone. It's all a little complex. Workers can't lay or produce eggs however the same larva that becomes a worker or drone can alzo become a queen.
6. Fact: Bees, wasps, and hornets know where your face is.
I know this one sounds weird. When bees, wasps, and hornets get defensive or are aggressive, they go for your face and neck. They will try to hit you where it hurts, that includes the eyelids. That's why we cover our faces just enough to see a little when attacked by killer bees.
7. Myth: Africanized Bees are like normal bees.
If you didn't know this, you do now. Africanized Bees is the formal name for our buddy ol' pal killer bees. They look pretty normal though. Why the name? Killer Bees were made in a Brazilian lab by crossbreeding honey bees from Europe and Africa. This was supposed to create bees with better honey yields. Instead, we created bees with a sadistic liking for deadly attacking.
8. Fact: Bees are what's known as a superorganism.
Superorganisms are what you get when a whole gathering of organisms acts as one or in the faith and safety of a whole organism. Think like the cells in your body. Except instead of cells, they're bees. Bees aren't the only superorganism. There's termites, wasps, hornets, and also ants.
Bonus Facts
The two second most powerful stings are dedicated to a wasp and a hornet.
There's the powerful and paralyzing Tarantula Hawk sting, and the sudden and strong Giant Asian Hornet sting. Number one of the Schmidt pain index scale for worst stings goes to an Ant though, the bullet Ant.
Wasps and hornets can also produce honey and pollinate. They don't pollinate as well as bees though, and their honey is never as sweet.
The gene tied to allergic reactions for bees, is also loosely tied to the allergies for hornets and wasps, too. If someone who is allergic to bees have children, their kids can be allergic to wasps but not bees and vice versa. Someone can also inheret all three too. I've never been stung by a hornet, so I guess I'm safe 2/3 so far
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