A honeybee can visit between 50-1000 flowers in one trip, which takes between 30 minutes to four hours. Examples of bee pollinated crops include watermelons, cantaloupe, citrus, apples, cucumbers, squash, most berry crops, broccoli, nuts, asparagus, and more. In fact, it’s estimated that bees are responsible for a third of the food that we eat.

To explain the impact on our daily diet, it is worth taking a look at breakfast. Assuming that a person eats a bread roll with 20 grams of strawberry jam on each half every day for breakfast, this amounts to 1,200 grams in a month: approximately 3.5 jars of jam. Without bees, there would be 60 per cent fewer strawberries. This would mean that, instead of 1,200 grams, there would only be 480 grams of jam available or 1.4 jars. That would only be enough for 24 bread roll halves or 12 days of breakfast.

Honey bees contribute nearly $20 billion to the value of U.S. crop production. This contribution, made by managed honey bees, comes in the form of increased yields and superior quality crops for growers and American consumers. A healthy beekeeping industry is invaluable to a healthy U.S. agricultural economy. Many of the country’s crops would not exist without the honey bee at bloom time. Crop yield and quality would be greatly reduced without honey bee pollination.

Ninja Honey Bees and the farmers near them are grateful for their pollination and the abundance of produce they help provide to the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Stop by the Farmers Market in Stephens City on Main Street and pickup some of our produce.

For more information on how honey bee pollination benefits specific crops, visit New Agriculturist.

Additional information can be found on the Pollinator Partnership website at www.pollinator.org/programs.