The busy Western honey bee, apis mellifera
feared by many but we all reap the benefits of it’s endless production of divine sweet honey. Honey bees are unfortunately threatened due to the world’s use of pesticides, erratic weather patterns and colony collapse disorder. They go about their day, providing our world with fruit and flowers and vegetables throughout the year. Humans exploit the honey bee’s work ethic, benefiting from their tireless work habits. They will defend their hives when threatened, armed with bright stripes to warn their predators of their willingness to sacrifice themselves and save their hive from predators with their painful sting.
Satisfying fruit, toast with honey, baklava, and all of the other sweet treats we enjoy, almonds and broccoli, as well as the cheerful flowers we place at our breakfast table are all provided to us by this busy tiny worker. Saving apis mellifera is not a luxury, but an environmental necessity.