Holistic Bee-Keeping

 

Bees are one of the most mysterious creatures. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and in every habitat on earth that contains flowering plants. The complexity of their behaviour and their collective intelligence stuns everyone who takes some time to observe and study them.

There are around 20,000 known species of bees. Honey bees are members of the genus Apis and they are classified into 7 recognized species with as many as 44 subspecies. What makes Apis genus so unique? They have arguably the most complex social behaviour and they are primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax.

“Honey bees — wild and domestic — perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Grains are primarily pollinated by the wind, but fruits, nuts and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Seventy out of the top 100 human food crops — which supply about 90 percent of the world’s nutrition — are pollinated by bees.” (source)