National Honey Bee Day was started in 2009 by a small group of beekeepers who wanted to celebrate honey bees and their important contributions to our everyday life. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was petitioned by this group and a formal proclamation was granted declaring the third Saturday of August as National Honey Bee Day.

Beekeepers and bee enthusiast use this day to educate the public about the economic and environmental benefits of honey bees and beekeeping. For more information, visit https://honeylove.org/national-honey-bee-day/.

Apis mellifera, the European or Western Honey bee, was brought to America in the 1600s by European colonists. These honey bees produce six hive 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.

Hive products are extremely important for our economy. However, the most important contribution honey bees provide in the US is their work as crop pollinators. 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. Considering 1/3 of the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees, it is important to learn how to protect honey bees from many different hazards.

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 honey bee. Reducing usage of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and neonicotinoids while increasing our use of natural predators and organic pest control will protect all our beneficial insects including the honey bee. Honey bees are typically not aggressive unless they are protecting their hive or if you disturb them.

Remember:

• Don’t swat at bees
• Never spray a beehive with a hose
• Do not use chemicals or pesticides on bees
• Give bees their space

Learn more about Honey bees at https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/. For local information about beekeeping visit the Texas Beekeepers Association’s website at https://texasbeekeepers.org.