When the weather is warm, honey bees are hard at work pollinating some of the produce Delmarva is best known for.
Honey bees pollinate most of the world’s plants and are responsible for more than 80 percent of the food people eat. Unfortunately, the honey bee population has declined significantly across the U.S., with Delmarva no exception.. Sean takes a trip to the Delaware State University Outreach and Research Center in Smyrna to learn more about how you can help the population.
Kathy Hossler, the president of the Delaware Beekeepers Association, explained why honey bees are so vital.
“Most of our fruits and vegetables rely on bees to help them reproduce,” Hossler said. “When the bees go out and collect pollen and nectar from flowers to feed their family, they’re also fertilizing the plants so about one-third of the food you eat, comes from the activity of a bee.”
The honey bee population is declining for various reasons, including the widespread use of pesticides. Hossler explained what we can do to help the bees.
“One thing you might do is when you shop for plants for your yard, make sure that they do not have a systemic insecticide,” she said. “This pesticide is carried in the plant’s tissues so after the bee collects the pollen from the plant, it can stress the bees out. You could plant a garden that has a wide range of flowers so that there is something blooming all of the time.”
