The Bees are Out!

"Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know so it goes on flying anyway."

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​What is one organism that we all depend on?
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What is one organism that is so tiny it’s most often forgotten about?

What is one thing that everything on this planet depends on?

The answer to all three of those questions is bees. Sure these little creatures can pack a punch to those who are allergic like myself, but they do so much more. They are very misunderstood creatures. As someone who has a backyard apiary I can agree to that wholeheartedly. There is a staggering difference between a honeybee, a wasp, a yellow jacket, and even a Japanese Giant Hornet. Not all bees are bad and not all are necessarily good either. I hope to provide some useful commentary on bees so that we can all understand these tiny creatures with a huge impact.

First, this is solely based on experience with handling bees and extensive research that has happened over the past 5 or so years. I have a deep appreciation for nature. I’m not just a girl that wants to be a commercial airline pilot. I want to see the world and be in nature too. I’m sure I’ve said that quite a lot, but now that that’s clear I can continue on.

Bees have been around for ever and sometimes we haven’t really gotten along with the ‘bee’ species. Oftentimes they are thought of as bad, tiny, and angry little creatures. None of that is true at all. I feel the deep need to mention that I’m quite allergic to these little honeybees. Wait… honeybee? What’s that?

Okay, so before I continue on explaining the whole allergy situation I must mention what a bee is. Sometimes things or organisms can get put into a broad category. For example, bee. What happens when most people here the word bee? ‘Eeek!’ That’s what happens when most people hear the word bee and there’s no denying it. That is alright because I was the same way. See, the term bee is too broad of a category that is associated with pure negativity when really it should be pure positivity. So what exactly do we put into that broad category? Honeybees, wasps, yellow jackets, bumblebees, hornets, etc. I think the point is clear now. The term bee, in society, seems to refer to anything that has wings, flies, that’s black and yellow, and finally: stings or bites. Sure that’s true and there’s no denying it. What if I said this: honeybees and bumblebees are amazing creatures that are able to get their thick little bodies off the ground by using their tiny wings. Better? What about this: without the bees we would simply be unable to eat. Even better! Bees are truly remarkable.

With that being added, there’s a huge difference between let’s say the honeybee and the wasp. The honeybees are very very good for the environment. They go about pollinating the flowers, making nectar, and just doing good. On the other hand, there’s wasps. Now wasps are thought of as not good at all. They are really just a nuisance, but what if I said that they are good bugs in the long run? They pollinate too, but they are just seen and automatically assumed as being bad. It’s all about perspective in the end. Everything here on earth has a simple -yet complex- role in the Ecosystem.

Back to the allergy thing. I am quite allergic to honeybees and it’s quite strange to see my skin puff up so much. While the sting itself is not painful to me, the aftermath is. I’ve been stung so many times and every time I swell up pretty bad. It’s nothing dangerous and nowhere near dangerous. The point is: I love bees and no I don’t just like them for their sweet honey, although that is so good too. I love them because they keep pollinating the flowers and plants so we can all eat food.

It’s often though of that the biggest things have the greatest impact. I believe the opposite is true: the smallest things have the greatest impact. This is true with life and with the bees. The reason why bees are also overlooked is because they are some of the smallest creatures. These tiny creatures are what keeps the world going around. I have always loved nature, but even I have to admit that I overlook and forget about the tiny creatures that make it possible.

Each year I am able to harvest honey from the backyard apiary. I never thought I’d love to help keep bees, but here I am. It is literally worth everything. See, bees really aren’t that bad. In fact, saving them needs to be our top priority as a human civilization. With the spring temperatures out these tiny aviators are moving about buzzing through the sky.