I don't think majority of people realise how important they are - but have read to get an idea.

There are over 25000 species of bees, which is divided into 4000 genera of bees, which can then be divided into 9 different families of bees. The Apidae family being the most well know which includes the Honeybee and Bumblebee.

Bees are responsible for pollinating over 1/3 of the worlds crops. Without them there would be no fruit and vegetables in our supermarkets. They also pollinate foraging crops which are vital to feed livestock. Imagine a world where there are no natural fruit,veg dairy or meat? In my opinion Bees are the most important insect in supporting the survival of the human race. We need them and need to be doing more to support their natural habitats.

Bees plays a major roll in pollination which is the transferring of pollen from a male plant to a female plant resulting in the plants seed, fruit or nut being formed. The bees have stiff leg hairs that the pollen sticks to and as they move from plant to plant gathering nectar and pollen they are also transferring the pollen. This is plant reproduction and as mentioned above 1/3 of the plants in the world need this to survive.

Examples of some if the food that wouldn't be available if there were no bees

  • broccoli
  • asparagus
  • melons
  • cucumbers
  • pumpkins
  • almonds
  • apples
  • cherries
  • blueberries
  • onions
  • grapefruit
  • avocados
  • oranges

 

Almonds are totally dependant on bees, and truck loads of bee hives are shipped in to pollinate almond flowers in America. No bees - No almonds!

We can help bees by only buying locally produced or organic foods - this free from all the harmful pesticides that are killing our bees. Not only is it better for us - its better for the bees too.

Bees also responsible for beautifying the Earth by pollinating flowers, making the landscapes more pleasing to our eyes and providing other insects and birds with an attractive habitat.

Apart from providing us with a all these delicious fruit and vegetables - their propolis (aka bee glue which they use as a resinous mixture to seal unwanted open spaces in the hives) has been used as a form of medicine for thousands of years. there are over 300 compounds in propolis the majority being polyphenols which are anti oxidants that fight disease and damage to our cells. Propolis contains antiviral, anti fungal, anti inflammatory and anti microbial properties. When applied topically they can improve wound healing time and fight cold sores. Propolis works as a complementary treatment for fighting cancel - it helps keep cancerous cells from multiplying, blocks pathways so cancel cells can’t signal to each other and reduced the possibility of cells becoming cancerous.

Raw honey another product produced by bees also has huge health benefits - it contains bee pollen which is great for fighting off infection and acts as an allergy relief. A lot of people benefit from consuming local honey from the area they live during allergy season. This is a form of immunotherapy. The bees collect pollen from the area you live in, and by consuming their honey, you are also eating some of the pollen which causes your allergies. Overtime this will help you become less sensitive to the pollen and experience less allergy symptoms. A tablespoon of raw honey a day can act like an allergy shot.

When shopping for honey - make sure the label says raw - Meaning it hasn't been heated or gone through a pasteurisation process. Most of the honey we find in the supermarkets has been purified destroying all the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, pollen and propolis. What you are left with is syrup looking honey which may taste the same but will contain none of the health benefits. 

Honey is natures purest forms of sweetener. Raw honey contains 22 amino acids, 27 minerals and 5000 enzymes. It doesn't cause a sugar spike and elevated insulin release like table sugar. 

Research


Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash