The buzzing of nearby honey bees can cause anxiety and fear in some people, a natural reaction to prior experiences of being stung some type of bee. The annoyance bee, which sometimes interferes with our outdoor activities can give our honey bees a bum rap. Did you know that bees are much less aggressive than their reputation suggests? They do not search for people to sting, females only sting when they sense a threat to their hive or colony, and usually they are much more interested in finding pollen and nectar than stinging you! Did you know that male honey bees don’t even have stingers.

Honeybees’ search for sweet sustenance results in the pollination of an array of diverse crops that humans heavily rely upon. From apples to almonds, they are responsible pollination worldwide, and without their contributions, our food system would look (and taste) quite different.

To prevent our hives from being affected by colony collapse disorder (CCD) from pesticides, we support the Non-GMO project in their efforts to improve food transparency and consumer education.

So next time you hear the buzz, before swatting at it, consider it may a honey bee just trying to do their job. Honey bees are usually oval-shaped with golden-yellow colors and brown bands. Although the body color of honey bees varies between species and some honey bees have predominantly black bodies, almost every honey bees have varying dark-to-light striations.