Why Bees?
In Simple Terms, They Sustain Us
Bees - and other pollinators - are responsible for pollinating over one third of our food supply, meaning that many of our crops would be unable to survive and reproduce without our buzzing friends. Additionally, bees help to increase the overall yield of a majority of our cultivated plants. Go bees!
Production of Honey
Who doesn't love honey? Bees produce honey by collecting and storing nectar from flowers. which they then regurgitate. After a rather lengthy process of regurgitation, evaporation, and saturation, honey is produced. Honey has a high energy density, making it both valuable and delicious. Many societies rely on honey for its energy content.
Human Health
Bees are not one-trick pollinators: they are responsible for breakthroughs in health as well! Bees produce venom, honey, and propolis, which are important parts of many new medicines and treatments. Certain substances found in bee venom (like melittin) have traits that could possibly help to kill cancer cells. Honey is a key substance that helps with allergies and wound healing. Propolis is a known antioxidant. The opportuni-bees are endless!
Biodiversity
Bees. through pollination and other actions, promote biodiversity. They disperse seeds across environments, pollinate and support countless plant species, and they support the food chain! Without bees, many plants could not survive, animals and other organisms would lose food sources, and the environment would suffer.