Honey Bees: bringers of life
Honey bees play a crucial role in human society. They provide numerous products that can be used for many different things. Above all, however, honey bees are important pollinators in the agriculture industry. According to the USDA, honey bees pollinate about 80% of our flowering plant crops, which is one out of every three bites of food. This industry is worth about $15 billion every year. Plants that are pollinated by insects such as honey bees are called "entomophilous". In a single trip, one worker bee can visit anywhere from 50 to 1000 flowers, pollinating many important plants. This relationship is mutually beneficial: the plants are pollinated and can produce fruits and spread more seeds, while the bees collect nectar for food and can use the pollen to make royal jelly. However, the impact of honey bee pollination is not restricted to foods that humans eat. Honey bees also pollinate many other important plants, including crops like clover and alfalfa, which feed the cows we raise for beef.
Here are some other crops pollinated by honey bees:
Here are some other crops pollinated by honey bees:
Bee Products
In addition to their pollination services, honey bees are the producers of many other goods. This includes the most well-known product: honey. In 2007, even after the loss of 25% of the honey bee population to CCD, honey production from the remaining 2.5 million colonies was almost 150 million pounds, coming to over $150 million for the honey industry. The U.S. exported $7.3 million worth of honey that year and imported $131 million: it is a well-used product in food, candy, and other manufactured goods.
The connection between honey bees and human society is limitless. Beyond the pollination services and honey that contribute immensely to our economy, honey bees also produce beeswax that can be used in candles, pollen (as a dietary supplement), royal jelly, propolis (bee glue used in cosmetics), and bee venom. |
Bee venom has been shown to have medicinal properties. These range from treating arthritis, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, to more recent studies showing its effectiveness with sexual dysfunction, cancer, epilepsy and depression. Furthermore, bee venom can be used as a local anti-inflammatory for injuries and breaking down scar tissue. Many of these properties are due to the chemical hyaluronidase.
Bad Press: African "Killer Bees"
Figure 13Although honey bees are incredibly useful in a variety of situations, there remains a certain stigma about them. This is often due to the sensationalism of "killer bees", referring to Africanized honey bees. These are a subspecies of Apis mellifera that were originally introduced to the west in 1956, when they were inadvertently released in Brazil. From South America, these bees spread and became known as an extremely successful invasive species. They are more successful in tropical climates, which has so far limited their spread in North America. However, it is the behavioral differences that have contributed to the myth of the "killer bees". Africanized honey bees are much more defensive, attacking in hundreds instead of a mere 10 or 20, as the European honey bee would do. Furthermore, the Africanized honey bee is defensive over a larger area and needs less provocation before attacking. Both subspecies have the same venom, so differences in injuries and fatalities are the result of number of stings, and not more poisonous venom. In fact, it usually takes about 40 bites per pound (unless someone is allergic) for a person to die from bee venom. This translates to over 5,000 bites for most people. However, despite the over-dramatic media representation of "killer bees", there are legitimate concerns. The heightened aggressiveness and competitiveness of Africanized bees could have an effect on the U.S. economy. They may affect pollination and agriculture, as well as hobby beekeeping and honey production.
Inspirational Bees
The modern economic importance of bees is impressive, but Apis mellifera has been connected to human society for thousands of years. From art and mythology to politics and engineering, honey bees and their products have played important roles. In the Greek Virgil's Georgics, honey bees are pivotal in the story of Aristaeus, the god of shepherds, who learns how to make bee hives and teaches bee-keeping to men. Honey was known as the drink of the gods on Mount Olympus, and the Oracles at Delphi were even said to transform into bees. Honey bees were worked into decorations in Ancient Mayan tombs, and used as symbols of royalty and as royal emblems in Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians also practiced apiculture and used honey for its medicinal properties. Milk and honey is referenced in Hebrew Bible, and was used in many religious ceremonies of ancient civilizations, and is still a popular combination today, though in more mundane applications. Honey is also referenced by itself in Islam, Celtic traditions, and American Indian rituals. In fact, honey bees are present in some form, whether venerated or not, in nearly every culture from which we have evidence. The bee was even used during Napoleon's rule in France.
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Political theorists, artists, poets, architects, scientists and mathematicians have all found some inspiration from honey bees. For architects, inspiration can be found in the engineering of the strength and efficiency of honeycomb, which optimize space for the materials used. For political theorists, from Aristotle to Karl Marx, honey bees serve as a metaphor for human society. From a prehistoric painting near Valencia, Spain, to tree carvings in Australia, to the art of more recent individuals, such as Salvadore Dali and our very own Zee Avi, the bee is popular in all forms of art. Contemporary artists today have often chosen honey bees as their muse, and one exhibit at London's Contemporary Applied Arts hosts the work of 28 artists.
Even engineers have something to learn from honey bees. In 2011, a project was undertaken to harness the olfactory powers of honey bees in order to detect illegal substances at airports and help identify terrorists and drug smugglers. Honey bees themselves were worked into the technology and trained to identify and react to specific scents, from explosives like gunpowder to other chemicals and drugs.
Clearly, the relationship between honey bees and human society is long and complex. The extent of their connection is far more than can be covered in a single website. There is so much to learn, from the past and in the future, so I encourage you to see what other relationships between honey bees and humans you can discover!
Even engineers have something to learn from honey bees. In 2011, a project was undertaken to harness the olfactory powers of honey bees in order to detect illegal substances at airports and help identify terrorists and drug smugglers. Honey bees themselves were worked into the technology and trained to identify and react to specific scents, from explosives like gunpowder to other chemicals and drugs.
Clearly, the relationship between honey bees and human society is long and complex. The extent of their connection is far more than can be covered in a single website. There is so much to learn, from the past and in the future, so I encourage you to see what other relationships between honey bees and humans you can discover!