The sweet benefits of beekeeping

Did you know that honey contains a substance that helps the human brain function better?

It can improve memory, lessen allergies, promote better sleep, and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. This can only happen when you use raw, natural honey instead of processed, corn-syrup-based, synthetic honey. About 25% of Bladen County is farmland, so bees have quite a lot to pollinate in our area to make this delicious, natural honey! The bees are just doing their job, but they are in danger from the introduction of non-native plants and the over usage of fertilizers and pesticides, which can kill honey bees. Our future depends on us humans being aware of the importance of vital pollinators like bees to maintain our food supply.

A man-made hive typically consists of a box with a set number of horizontal frames used by the bees to put their honeycomb on, which in time would be filled with honey. Some hives may have more than one box sitting on top of the bottom box, which is called the brood box, where the queen bee lays her eggs. My parents and I harvest honey from the top hive box. We have had bees for about 5 yearsnow, and I can say that everyone in our family has thoroughly enjoyed the sweetness of the bees’ labor.

A bee lives about 40 days during the summer, traveling several miles as she makes thousands of trips from the hive during her lifetime. Bees thrive in places with meadows, a steady water supply, temperature ranging from 60-85°F, and wildflowers. Honeybees will need to visit about 2 million flowers to make just one pound of honey, but one honeybee makes only 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her entire life. It takes about 12 bees to make just one teaspoon of honey, which will never spoil! Archaeologists have found honey in Egyptian tombs that was still perfectly good to eat, and it was over 3,000 years old! Bees have to be quite busy to make honey, which is why the queen bee lays up to 2,000 eggs a day. That’s more than one egg every minute during peak season!

Unfortunately, honey bee populations in the USA are decreasing because of pesticides, habitat loss, disease and parasites, and climate change. This is terrible because humans rely on bees for the pollination of vegetation, including crops that make North Carolina famous, like our blueberries and strawberries. After working with my parents, I’ve learned that you should work to save all pollinators, especially the honey bees, and maybe even get a hive of their own! (With the proper training and equipment, of course.) While Bladen County does not have a bee association, the Columbus County Beekeepers Association in Whiteville offers beekeeping classes, allowing you to ask questions and learn about the wonderful trade/hobby! Support local beekeepers so you can get healthier honey, reduce travel carbon emissions, and help support the local economy.