National Honey Bee Day was started in 2009 by a small group of beekeepers who wanted to celebrate honey bees and their important contributions to our everyday life. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was petitioned by this group and a formal proclamation was granted declaring the third Saturday of August as National Honey Bee Day.

Honey and beeswax are all economically important agricultural products. According to the 2019 USDA honey report, US consumption of honey was 554 million pounds which is about 1.69 pounds per person. Production of domestic honey was valued at $309.14 million, which only accounts for 32% of the honey consumed in the US.

Hive products are extremely important for our economy. One of the most important contribution honey bees provide in the US is their work as crop pollinators. US agriculture depends on pollinators of all kinds but especially honey bees which help pollinate 50 different food crops valued at over $20 billion. Many food crops are completely dependent on honey bees. For example, 80% of the world’s almonds are produced in California. Almond producers are entirely dependent on over 1.8 million honey bee colonies for pollination services. Other crops like apples, avocados, blueberries, cherries, cranberries and sunflower are 90% dependent on honey bees.

Remember:

• Don’t swat at bees
• Never spray a beehive with a hose
• Do not use chemicals or pesticides on bees
• Give bees their space

Considering 1/3 of the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees, why not stop by the Newtown Local Market today August 15, to learn about the Ninja Honey Bees!

Learn more about Honey bees at https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/.