Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: The Little Hero Behind Your Favorite Veggie: The Honeybee

Honey bees have fascinated man for hundreds of
years. But more recently the importance of bees
from an environmental perspective has come to the
fore - and not without reason. Honey bees have
two main roles. Firstly, as pollinators, and
secondly as producers of honey (and other bee
products).

The importance of the role of pollination cannot
be overstated. Honey bees are responsible for the
pollination of about 80% of all insect pollinated
plants. Without them, these plants simply would
not be pollinated, and food production would
drastically fall as a direct result. Over 100 of
our staple food crops rely on insects for
pollination.

Second to the important role pollination plays,
bees are more well known for the honey they make.
The bee will travel up to four miles from the
location of his hive in search of flowers bearing
nectar. Bees feed themselves, and additional
nectar is collected into a second stomach.

Upon their return to the hive, this nectar is
deposited into honeycombs and fanned to remove
excess water. The removal of this water also
helps to naturally preserve the honey for an
extended period. This sticky golden substance is
used as a primary food source for the whole
colony. Of course, for us humans it is a great
sugary tasting food additive. It may also be
found in other products such as cosmetics and
medicine.

Additional resources gathered from the honeybee
include propolis, beeswax, and pollen.

Propolis is sort of a bee glue. It is used by the
bees to seal cracks and perform their own
maintenance within the hive.

Beeswax is a substance that worker bees excrete
from the wax glands on their abdomen. Within the
hive it is collected to create the honeycomb.
For years, humans have been using this wax in
candle-making. Today it can be found as an
ingredient in many popular lotions and creams.

Pollen is collected by the bees into pollen
baskets. Because of it's protein content, it is
used as a nutritional food for the brood. We
humans have found it to be best used as a health
supplement.

In an effort to maintain all the benefits
provided by the bee, a movement has begun that is
in great support of the smaller bee farmer. You
don't have to breed bees on a massive scale to
make a difference. Just a couple of hives can
maintain your local environment and bring you a
great hobby you may have never considered.

----------------------------------------------------
Val Wilson is passionate about all things
beekeeping! It is an incredibly rewarding hobby
in so many ways, so if you would like more
information about how to start beekeeping, and
produce your own honey, go to
http://www.bestbeekeeping.com and sign up for the
FREE 7 day beekeeping ecourse.

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=111833

>