Dance of the Honey Bee

Bees are wonderful little creatures. They work tirelessly to serve the hive, gathering nectar and pollen from flowers far and wide.

We tend to take bees for granted, not understanding that they play a crucial role in the lifecycles of nature.  Most plants require a transfer of pollen from one individual plant to another to reproduce.  Bees are the instruments of much of that cross pollination. If it weren't for bees,  the natural food supply humans depend on would shrink dramatically. 

Bees are in a lot of trouble these days. Whole hives can disappear in virtually an instant due to something called Colony Collapse Disorder.   Mounting evidence suggests this could be  caused by the wide spread use of a particularly deadly form of insecticide known as  neonicotinoids. The manufacturers of these insecticides deny any link to honey bee deaths. Odd, when you consider that bees are insects. Duh.  When you spread this kind of poison over the landscape,  it's going to kill any small creatures that come into contact with it.  That bees are particularly vulnerable should be no surprise.

As I wrote at the beginning of this piece, bees are wonderful little creatures.  We need to appreciate the very important role they play in the fabric of life. That's the first step in becoming advocates that recognize that protecting bees is tantamount to protecting ourselves.

Here is a link to a new video called Dance of the Honey Bees...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo6fK1yKcAA