National Honey Month
Did you know that September is National Honey Month? National Honey Month was created by the National Honey Board to celebrate honey, the honey bees who make it, and the beekeeping industry. Honey bees do a lot more than create delicious honey; they play an essential role in crop pollination. According to the NHB, “one-third of the U.S. diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and honey bees are responsible for an impressive 80 percent of that process.” Due to Colony Collapse Disorder and other factors such as pests, poor nutrition, pesticides, and lack of genetic diversity, bee populations are on the decline, making it as important as ever to learn about their role in our ecosystem and what we can do to promote their survival!
So, what can we do to help? How about planting a pollinator garden without using pesticides? (To learn what plants are beneficial, Click here.) Or buying local organic honey to support beekeepers? Take time this month to appreciate the gift of honey!
Check out the following to learn more about bees:.
Wild Honey Bees: An Intimate Portrait
“This book explores the fascinating secret world of wild honey bees, including the adaptations and behaviors they have acquired to survive and the new challenges they face today.”
Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature
“The author shares a charming and eloquent account of a return to noticing, to rediscovering a perspective on the world that had somehow been lost to her for decades, and to reconnecting with the natural world. With special care and attention to the plight of pollinators, including honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees, she shares fascinating details of the lives of flora and fauna.”
Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
“From the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers, a natural and cultural history of the buzzing wee beasties that make the world go round. Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen.”
Books about beekeeping:
What Bees Want: Beekeeping as Nature Intended
“Bee populations are plummeting. The solution? Give them what they need to live naturally, and they'll handle the rest. Susan Knilans and Jacqueline Freeman are in love with bees. So in love that they observe their bees-their work, communication, seasonal activity, and more-for hours each day. And with observation came realization: when bees are allowed to live as they would in nature (with smaller hives, no chemicals, freedom to swarm, and little-to-no human interference), they will thrive.”
Keeping Bees with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Tend Hives, Harvest Honey & More
“Offers a beginner's overview of beekeeping, including space and time considerations; local ordinances; and the basics of acquiring, housing, maintaining, and caring for bees year round, as well as ten recipes.”
Bee People and the Bugs They Love
“Mortimer delivers an informative, funny, and galvanizing book about the symbiotic relationship between flower and bee, and bee and the beekeepers who are determined to protect the existence of one of the most beguiling and invaluable creatures on earth.” -- adapted from jacket
“Whether you are a new beekeeper or a seasoned ol' timer, Building Beehives for Dummies provides you with the information you need to plan and succeed at building beehives (and other cool accessories). You'll discover what type of hive to build, hints on how to maintain your equipment, what bees need to stay happy and healthy, where to locate your hive, and much more.”
Try new recipes and discover other uses of honey:
The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses
“This ultimate guide covers all the practical essentials and will teach you everything about caring for bees and safe hive management, with clear instructions and step-by-step illustrations. It also contains a wealth of information about the culinary, medicinal, cosmetic and domestic uses of honey, beeswax and pollen.” – from publisher
Sweet Nature: A Cook's Guide to Using Honey and Maple Syrup
“Honey and maple syrup might be better for you than sugar. They might be better for the environment. But even better, and sweet as anything, is how these natural ingredients taste and the wonders they do for a dish. James Beard, Award winning cookbook author Beth Dooley, and gifted photographer Mette Nielsen make the most of these flavors in this celebration of honey and maple syrup in traditional kitchens as well as cutting-edge food culture.”
Looking to learn more? Check out the links below:
https://honey.com/bees-sustainability/bee-health
https://www.planetbee.org/save-honeybees-nativebees
https://www.nifa.usda.gov/national-honey-month-shines-light-pollinator-health
https://www.agfoundation.org/news/september-is-national-honey-month
https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/pollinator-health-concerns#factors
- by Isabel F., Ewing Branch
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