Bee aware

Retired from New Vienna Elementary School-35 yrs.
Owner of Bee Honey Healthy
New Vienna Village Council Member
GED Facilitator – SSCC
Backyard Beekeeper
About Me

Increase awareness of bees in our food production.
Increase awareness of bee health and our responsibility associated with it.
Create a bee friendly environment.
Three Objectives

25,000 Species in the World
3,500 Species in the U.S.
Queen Lays 2,000+ Eggs a Day/2-3 yrs.
Worker Bees-60,000-80,000 in each hive –summer/2-4 months
Drone-male-300-3,000/hive- die after mating
Bees maintain the temperature in the hive at 93 degrees during the winter
About Bees

Fly 55,000 miles visiting 2 million flowers = 1 pound honey
80% of insect crop pollination is accomplished by honey bees
Valued at $14.6 billion per year
Pollination

California produces more than half of the world’s almonds
1,000,000 colonies of bees are moved to California
300,000 colonies are rented each year to pollinate melons
Agriculture

Almond
Apple
Avocado
Blueberry
Cherry
Cranberry
Cucumber
Kiwi fruit
Pear
Plum
Crops

“The value of honey bees can not be measured by their ability to produce honey alone – rather; it must include the work bees do for agricultural crops, home gardens and wildlife habitat.”
Nicholas Calderone, PH.D. Cornell University

Varroa mites, Nosema
Viruses, Fungus
Pesticides and Herbicides
Loss of Habitat-less foraging
Malnutrition/transporting
Colony Collapse Disorder
Varroa Mite

What can YOU do?
Increase demand for bee products
Plant a flower/vegetable garden
Use natural pesticides/herbicides
Become a beekeeper
Become an advocate
Seek assistance
Local Ext. Office

Bee Friendly Plants
Alyssum
Apples
Autumn Joy Sedum
Azalea
Chives
Crocus
Lambs Ear
Lavender
Roses
Sage

References
National Honey Board
Vanishing Bees-UK
Backyard Beekeepers Association
Silence of the Bees-PBS
Beevenom.com-Canada
Photobucket.com
Durhamsbeefarm.com
Naturepedic.com
Scrummys.blogspot.com
Roamingtimes.com/environment/images/pesticides
AI Root Company/Bee Culture Magazine
OSU Beekeepers Association
Mid Atlantic Apiculture and Extension Consortium
Beeinformed.org
http://beelab.osu.edu/factsheets/sheets/2168.html