By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes. Just click on the desired photo and look for the blue “BUY” button.
As I was reading my email this morning, I found out that today is National Honey Bee Day. Who knew...other than beekeepers, that is? The mission behind this day includes three goals: to promote and advance beekeeping, to educate the public about honey bees and beekeeping, and to make the public aware of environmental concerns affecting honey bees.
Many people are afraid of bees or consider them a nuisance, but we have bees to thank for much of the food we eat. In 2011, the Natural Resources Defense Council published a report saying that bees are responsible for pollinating more than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops. These crops include apples, oranges, lemons, limes, berries, nectarines, peaches, pears, cantaloupes, watermelons, pumpkins, avocados, carrots, cucumbers, onions, squash, and almonds. In fact, at least 30 percent of the world’s crops and 90% of wild plants thrive because of cross-pollination by bees.
Economic figures from 2011 show that $150 million worth of honey was being produced annually by U.S. honey bees. However, in 2006, U.S. beekeepers began reporting that honey bees were abandoning their hives.
This disappearance has become known as Colony Collapse Disorder. These losses have continued and have increased. From April 2015 to April 2016, the nation’s beekeepers lost approximately 44 percent of their honey bee colonies.
Researchers think a number of interrelated factors may be the cause of this disorder. These factors include global warming, pesticide use, habitat loss, and parasites.
It is definitely vital for our policy makers to take action to protect bees and other pollinators which will, in turn, protect our food supply. But we citizens can also do our part by greatly decreasing the amount of pesticides we use on a regular basis and supporting habitat protection.
Now for some fun facts about bees and beekeepers from PennApic (Pennsylvania Apiculture Inc.), the parent organization that oversees and facilitates both the Pennsylvania Backyard Beekeepers Association (PBBA) and the National Honey Bee Day program:
• To make 1 pound of honey, bees may need to fly 50,000 miles.
• The worker bees are all females.
• Honey bees may forage up to 2-5 miles from the hive.
• Directly, honey bees pollinate the flowers of 1/3 of all fruits and vegetables.
• Indirectly, honey bees pollinate 70% of the food crops, through seed production, plant fertilization, etc.
• Honey comes in many varieties, such as orange blossom, clover, alfalfa, blueberry, and apple blossom.
• There are only half the number of beekeepers there were 25 years ago.
• There are 1/3 less beehives as there were 25 years ago.
• 95% of beekeepers are hobbyists.
• Beekeeping dates back at least 4500 years.
• Beehives are kept on farms, in backyards, on balconies, and high-rise rooftops, all across the country.
• Honey bees are kept or managed in all 50 states.
I used to be afraid of bees of all kinds, but when I started photographing them, my fear turned into curiosity and respect for all that bees do for us. I hope this blog post has done the same for you.
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label beehives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beehives. Show all posts
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Beehive, Bah!
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Anyone, who knows me well, knows that one of my most favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz. In the movie, shortly after Dorothy and the Scarecrow discover the rusted Tin Man in the forest, the wicked witch appears on the roof of the Tin Man’s cottage and threatens to use the Tin Man as a beehive.
After the witch disappears in a cloud of smoke, the Scarecrow says, “I’m not afraid of her. I’ll see you get safely to the Wizard now, whether I get a brain or not. Stuff a mattress with me! Hah!” And the Tin Man says, “I’ll see you reach the Wizard, whether I get a heart or not. Beehive, bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me!"
As Ruth and I travel along the back roads in all seasons, we come across beehives in the fields and woods alongside the roads. Sometimes we meet the owners, but usually the beehives are off by themselves with no residence in site.
Richland County, Wisconsin is one of our favorite counties in which to photograph. Several years ago, while traveling the back roads of this scenic county, Ruth and I came upon a self-serve honey shack (the only one we’ve ever seen). Last fall, we went back to that same location and the honey shack wasn’t there anymore.
It’s always fun to find produce stands beside the road, especially the ones that use the honor system. Another great place to find fresh honey is at the local apple orchards. One of our favorite apple orchards is Ski-Hi Fruit Farm near Baraboo, Wisconsin. In addition to apples, they sell many other products, including honey.
One of our favorite discoveries when we’re traveling the back roads is a road with an interesting name, like Hoot Owl Valley Road or Chicken Hollow Road. When we first discovered Smiling Goat Road in Richland County, I said, “We have to find something to photograph on this road so that we can add this interesting name to our photo log.” Luckily, we discovered an old gray barn with round hay bales next to it. A few years later, we visited this road again and found beehives in front of the old gray barn.
Four years ago in early March, I left the winter weather of Wisconsin to visit my friend, Margaret, in Texas. I arrived there the day before she was available, so I spent a day photographing on the back roads outside Fort Worth. After spending the first part of the day in the historic town of Granbury, I headed further south and stumbled on some blossoming pear trees near Chalk Mountain.
The scent of those pear blossoms was heavenly and all of the trees were buzzing with honeybees, moving from blossom to blossom. I stood for a long time taking in the wonderful scent and watching these incredible creatures as they pollinated the pear trees. It was especially enjoyable knowing that it was still cold and snowy in Wisconsin.
It’s been a long, cold winter this year in Wisconsin and Ruth and I are looking forward to spring. It won’t be long and the honeybees will be back on the wildflowers.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Anyone, who knows me well, knows that one of my most favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz. In the movie, shortly after Dorothy and the Scarecrow discover the rusted Tin Man in the forest, the wicked witch appears on the roof of the Tin Man’s cottage and threatens to use the Tin Man as a beehive.
After the witch disappears in a cloud of smoke, the Scarecrow says, “I’m not afraid of her. I’ll see you get safely to the Wizard now, whether I get a brain or not. Stuff a mattress with me! Hah!” And the Tin Man says, “I’ll see you reach the Wizard, whether I get a heart or not. Beehive, bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me!"
As Ruth and I travel along the back roads in all seasons, we come across beehives in the fields and woods alongside the roads. Sometimes we meet the owners, but usually the beehives are off by themselves with no residence in site.
Richland County, Wisconsin is one of our favorite counties in which to photograph. Several years ago, while traveling the back roads of this scenic county, Ruth and I came upon a self-serve honey shack (the only one we’ve ever seen). Last fall, we went back to that same location and the honey shack wasn’t there anymore.
It’s always fun to find produce stands beside the road, especially the ones that use the honor system. Another great place to find fresh honey is at the local apple orchards. One of our favorite apple orchards is Ski-Hi Fruit Farm near Baraboo, Wisconsin. In addition to apples, they sell many other products, including honey.
One of our favorite discoveries when we’re traveling the back roads is a road with an interesting name, like Hoot Owl Valley Road or Chicken Hollow Road. When we first discovered Smiling Goat Road in Richland County, I said, “We have to find something to photograph on this road so that we can add this interesting name to our photo log.” Luckily, we discovered an old gray barn with round hay bales next to it. A few years later, we visited this road again and found beehives in front of the old gray barn.
Four years ago in early March, I left the winter weather of Wisconsin to visit my friend, Margaret, in Texas. I arrived there the day before she was available, so I spent a day photographing on the back roads outside Fort Worth. After spending the first part of the day in the historic town of Granbury, I headed further south and stumbled on some blossoming pear trees near Chalk Mountain.
The scent of those pear blossoms was heavenly and all of the trees were buzzing with honeybees, moving from blossom to blossom. I stood for a long time taking in the wonderful scent and watching these incredible creatures as they pollinated the pear trees. It was especially enjoyable knowing that it was still cold and snowy in Wisconsin.
It’s been a long, cold winter this year in Wisconsin and Ruth and I are looking forward to spring. It won’t be long and the honeybees will be back on the wildflowers.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
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