Pollination
Agriculture depends greatly on the honeybee for pollination.
Honeybees account for 80% of all insect pollination. Without such pollination,
we would see a significant decrease in the yield of fruits and vegetables.
Pollen
Bees collect 66 lbs of pollen per year, per hive. Pollen is
the male germ cells produced by all flowering plants for fertilization and
plant embryo formation. The Honeybee uses pollen as a food. Pollen is one of
the richest and purest natural foods, consisting of up to 35% protein, 10%
sugars, carbohydrates, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins A (carotenes), B1
(thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinic acid), B5 (panothenic acid), C
(ascorbic acid), H (biotin), and R (rutine).
Honey
Honey is used by the bees for food all year round. There are
many types, colors and flavors of honey, depending upon its nectar source. The
bees make honey from the nectar they collect from flowering trees and plants.
Honey is an easily digestible, pure food. Honey is hydroscopic and has
antibacterial qualities. Eating local honey can fend off allergies.
Beeswax
Secreted from glands, beeswax is used by the honeybee to
build honey comb. It is used by humans in drugs, cosmetics, artists' materials,
furniture polish and candles.
Propolis
Collected by honeybees from trees, the sticky resin is mixed
with wax to make a sticky glue. The bees use this to seal cracks and repair
their hive. It is used by humans as a health aid, and as the basis for fine
wood varnishes.
Royal Jelly
The powerful, milky substance that turns an ordinary bee
into a Queen Bee. It is made of digested pollen and honey or nectar mixed with
a chemical secreted from a gland in a nursing bee's head. It commands premium
prices rivaling imported caviar, and is used by some as a dietary supplement
and fertility stimulant. It is loaded with all of the B vitamins.
Bee Venom
The "ouch" part of the honeybee. Although sharp
pain and some swelling and itching are natural reactions to a honeybee sting, a
small percentage of individuals are highly allergic to bee venom. "Bee venom
therapy" is widely practiced overseas and by some in the USA to address
health problems such as arthritis, neuralgia, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and even MS.
