Bees: Food for the Mind and Body!
I never realized just how many types of bees there are! There are over 20 000 species of bees, 800-100 of those are native to Canada! One of the most widely recognized bees - the Honey Bee is an immigrant (like me). Most native bees are solitary, don’t live in hives or make honey and rarely sting. They aren’t even always gold and yellow! It makes you question everything, doesn't it?!
The cute, fuzzy, familiar Bumble Bee however, is Native to Canada (phew). They often make their home underground in abandoned burrows, and produce just enough honey for their colony to survive the winter. Only the Queens or "Queens-to-be" survive our Canadian winters (I knew it took a special skill). If we think the bees are going to be a little short in supplies, we can add to their food bank by providing a little extra nourishment in the way of a white sugar-water solution.
Bumble Bees are particularly good pollinators (better than Honey Bees), and use a process called Buzz Pollination where they vibrate the flower anther (a reproductive part), dislodging and collecting the pollen, which in turn fertilizes the wildflowers we enjoy and the crops we eat. It seems Bees, in their own way, provide nourishment for the soul, mind and the body! They've certainly given me food for thought! You may even see some green or blue bees hatched from The Glass Bakery one day. For now, I hope you enjoy my friendly Bumble Bees!
The cute, fuzzy, familiar Bumble Bee however, is Native to Canada (phew). They often make their home underground in abandoned burrows, and produce just enough honey for their colony to survive the winter. Only the Queens or "Queens-to-be" survive our Canadian winters (I knew it took a special skill). If we think the bees are going to be a little short in supplies, we can add to their food bank by providing a little extra nourishment in the way of a white sugar-water solution.
Bumble Bees are particularly good pollinators (better than Honey Bees), and use a process called Buzz Pollination where they vibrate the flower anther (a reproductive part), dislodging and collecting the pollen, which in turn fertilizes the wildflowers we enjoy and the crops we eat. It seems Bees, in their own way, provide nourishment for the soul, mind and the body! They've certainly given me food for thought! You may even see some green or blue bees hatched from The Glass Bakery one day. For now, I hope you enjoy my friendly Bumble Bees!