by McKayla Holson, Editorial Editor
You probably guessed it folks, this is another article about bees.
Don’t like the bees? That’s OK, they are not everyone’s cup of honey. See what I did there?
Even if you don’t like bees, you have to acknowledge how vitally important they are to the world around us.
According to a New York Times article by Tammy Horn, honeybees came to North America during the 17th century. Within two centuries, the bee was found all around the globe.
Because of this, some people argue “we lived without bees before, we can live without them again,” but that is not how this works.
Bees have become the main source of pollination. Bats, butterflies and others pollinate, yes, but not to the extent bees do.
In an article on One Green Planet’s website, Jessica Tucker, author of the article, says bees are responsible for pollinating about one-sixth of the flowering plant species worldwide and approximately 400 different agricultural types of plant.
Without bees, the world would be dull, gray and bland.
I, personally, would be miserable in a world without bees.
Besides being a powerhouse in the pollination game, bees also give us honey and beeswax; two beneficial products.
Honey is a natural sweetener that is popular in the kitchen. It is not only nutritional; it also has medicinal properties.
A tablespoon of raw honey contains 64 calories, is fat-free, cholesterol-free and sodium-free according to the National Honey Board.
Honey also has antibacterial properties. It helps protect wounds from infection and helps heal and repair wounds.
Because honey is antibacterial, many people think it can help with acne. I haven’t found any scientifically based evidence that supports this, but there are people who say it works, or at least helps. But, there are also people who say it doesn’t work. I think whether it works or not depends on the individual person.
Similar to honey, people use beeswax to soothe and heal wounds. It is also used in makeup products to help moisturize.
Many lips products use beeswax. Even some eye makeup uses beeswax. Beeswax creates a barrier that prevents harmful outside elements from getting into the barrier while still allowing the skin to breathe.
Since coming to North America during the 17th century, bees have taken the world by swarm.
Did you catch that one?
In short, bees are important and vital to our world.
There’s a stigma around bees that needs to be broken. They don’t want to sting you; they aren’t out to get you. In fact, a honeybee dies if they sting you.
Because of its design, the bee cannot pull the stinger out. The bee pulls away and the stinger is ripped from its body. Not only is the stinger left behind, but its muscles, nerves and digestive tract are left behind. Basically, their abdomen is ripped apart.
Just know that bees don’t want to sting you. They sting to protect their hive. They sting when they feel threatened.
Just let bees do their thing. Leave them alone and they’ll leave you alone. They were brought here, they do a job and they do that job well.