The benefit of keeping bees and beehives

     Unless you are a botanist, scientist or nature lover, when a bee hovers around a garden or in the woods, you probably get a little nervous and wonder if you are about to be stung. But bees are an important part of nature and have an important job to do.

     To keep bees employed, so to speak, Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve in Atmore, Ala., has been planting pollinator plants for bees and other insects and pollinators. Persimmon trees also have been planted to help sustain the wildlife. Click here to see a video about persimmon tree budding.

     Bees contribute countless benefits that most people forget about. Let’s discuss a few of them …

Animals, plants and nature

     Bees use plants to help cultivate the various nutrients that feed animal species native to the area. And plants in turn benefit from bees’ pollination in order to reproduce. Plants rich in pollen and nectar allow habitats to thrive and bees are an essential part of that process.

Agriculture

     Bees are important to agriculture because without their pollination, many crops simply would not flourish. Pollination happens in a variety of ways, such as through the wind or a flower that self-pollinates, but bees are pollinators by nature. By using bees to cross-pollinate, plants produce viable seeds, which produce viable crops.

     According to New Agriculturist Online, bees pollinate about one-sixth of the world's flowering plant species and about 400 of its agricultural plants.

Humans

     The harvesting of honey is the most common aid bees provide to the human race. Honey has many health benefits, including being a natural immune system builder and remedy for ailments. And as stated earlier, the pollination that bees do makes many foods we enjoy possible. 

     Without bees, the food supply chain would greatly diminish. Apples, berries of all kinds, sunflowers, watermelon … all of these “crops” need pollination and pollinators such as bees to grow.

Wax
     Another reason to keep bees around is the wax they produce. Not only are their honeycombs made from wax, but a plethora of products humans use are made from beeswax. Crayons, candles and skincare products are good examples of how bees make life better. Not to mention other uses of wax, including wax thread to make handmade crafts, preventing rust or lubricating wood. Beeswax also is a common remedy for dry hair.

     So next time you stop to smell some flowers and you see a bee nearby, don’t freak out. They are just doing their job and most likely will stay out of your way.