I Never Got "The Talk"

When you were growing up and became aware of more adult issues in the world...love and (gasp) even sex...did you ever get the "the talk"? Did your parents ever sit you down for a squirming and awkward conversation about how everything works? I didn't. My parents never broached the subject with me. And that's just as well because when I look back at the information that was available 50 years ago, and the cultural norms that existed, it's probably better that I had to figure it out for myself. One less young mind ruined is how I look at it.

So are you getting "the talk" from me today? Well yes. Sort of. I do want to talk to you about the bees. Real bees. It turns out they are very important. Life and death, survival of the human species levels of importance. If a fateful asteroid the size of the one that wiped out the dinosaurs was traveling toward us, we'd be talking about it and taking action. Yet when it comes to bees we are pretty silent. Consider these interesting facts:

1. Honey bees dance to communicate. When they return to the hive, they do a bum boogie and a shuffle to let the rest of the hive know the direction of good food.

2. Nectar is the sweet substance bees gather from flowers and plants. They process the nectar in their stomach, regurgitate it and then fan it with their wings to increase moisture evaporation. This is what honey is. Don't worry, honey is not bee vomit. They process the nectar in a separate stomach pouch. Pretty cool huh?

3. There are 3 classes of bees: Queen, workers, drones. 

4. Honey was found in Egyptian tombs. It was still edible! Why? Because honey doesn't spoil. Bacteria cannot grow on honey. 

5. 90% of wild plants and 75% of human grown crops depend upon pollination. No bees=no food. If it weren't for bees, we wouldn't be here. (that's a bad pun I know, but it is original)

6. Bees have stinky feet. They leave their scent on visited flowers so that other bees know not to bother with particular flower. They also leave these scents for other member of their hive. It's like a tracking system. 

7. If a Queen dies, the hive raises a new Queen. Queen's are fed royal jelly, specially made by worker bees and fed to the Queen and only the Queen for her entire life. It's good to be Queen!

8. Bees are the only insects that produce food humans can eat.

9. Bees have 5 eyes, 6 legs and 4 wings. 

10. Only female worker bees have stingers. If they use their stingers they die. Male bees are called drones. 

Now I am no bee expert, not even close. But I am learning about them and I am learning to love them. Human beings don't exist without bees. That's not me being melodramatic (did you like that pun better?). There would be very little for us to eat with pollinators such as bees. Our species simply would not survive. 

How Can We Help Them?

There are a couple of things we can do to help bees survive and thrive. The fact is they are disappearing and they need our help.

1. Head on over to https://foecanada.org/2021/08/friends-of-the-earth-says-federal-pesticide-announcement-a-big-step-toward-rebuilding-canadians-trust-in-pesticide-decisions/ and learn what Friends of the Earth Canada is doing to eliminate dangerous pesticides used in farming. Pesticides are wiping out our bee population. Consider supporting a charity that supports bee health. 

And here too: https://foecanada.org/the-bee-cause/

2. Create a bee friendly garden. Some bee friendly plants for Canadian climates include lavender, golden-rod, milkweed, black-eyes Susans, sunflowers, violets.

3. Provide a water source for bees, butterflies and insects. Bees fly a lot during the day and need rest and relaxation along the way. A bird bath is a good way to help them out (see my video below). 

Here are some sites where you can learn more about bees and how important they are:

https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/

https://ecofamilylife.com/garden/bees-like-lavender/

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2002-bees-fun-facts

Let's Visit My Garden

As I mentioned, I am far from a bee expert. I am learning. Check out my video below where I talk about some of the things I have learned in our simple garden. Enjoy the video. Subscribe to our Youtube page. We'll see you again next week. 

 I'm Carlo Santin, co-founder of Legit Raw. I'm also an educator by day, a husband and a father of two sons. Welcome.