Honey Bees: Why they're important, how you can help

 During this time of year, honey bees are hard at work collecting nectar and pollen for their colonies. Unfortunately, because of their defensive sting, honey bees have gotten a bad rap.

  Most people do not understand the important role bees play for humans. They are the most vital links in our agricultural food systems, home gardens and landscapes. One-third of the foods we enjoy are bee pollinated, including melons, squash, citrus and strawberries, to name a few.

  Pollination by bees is critical because many plants have separate female and male flower parts. For seeds or fruits to be formed, pollen from the male flower must be transferred to the female flower. Without bees this cross pollination could not occur.

  As bees collect nectar and pollen, they unknowingly perform pollination. This relationship between flowering plants and bees is mutually beneficial and has been occurring since the Cretaceous era more than 144 million years ago.

  Honey bees are amazing insects that live in complicated societies. They are one of a very small group of social insects. Cooperative care of young, a division of labor and an overlap of two generations are the characteristics of social insects.

  Honey bees are divided into three social groups called casts. These casts are the queen, the worker bees and drones.

  The queen bee is the most important cast member. There is only one queen bee in a colony and she is in charge of laying eggs. In
one day a queen can lay up to 1,500 eggs. She never leaves to gather food or protect the colony; these jobs are done by unmated female bees called workers.

  The worker cast is also in charge of producing wax and honey, building and repairing the hive, and feeding the young. In a healthy colony, there can be up to 80,000 workers. These bees work so hard they literally work themselves to death. In one day, a worker can make up to 12 trips from the hive to visit thousands of flowers.

  When a good food source is found, worker bees communicate its location by dancing in the hive. The movements are very precise and communicate the direction and distance to the food source. While foraging away from the hive, worker bees are very docile and only sting when threatened.

  The last members of honey bee society are the drones. These are male bees that can't sting or feed. Their only purpose in life is to mate with the queen; after this duty is performed they die.

  Sadly, the number of honey bees worldwide is in sharp decline. Here, in the U.S., new virus and mite pests have reduced bee populations by up to 50 percent. Researchers from the University of Arizona and other institutions are working hard to find causes for the population decline, but this will take time. We all need to be vigilant in not causing honey bees undue stress.

  Homeowners can help by reducing the amount of pesticides they spray on citrus trees, home gardens and landscape plants. Instead of turning to pesticides as a first option, people should consider alternative control measures. Many insects can be removed by simply spraying the plant with a strong stream of water. There are also excellent products such as horticultural soaps and oils that are effective against a variety of pests.

  If you do use pesticides, try spraying them when bees are not active, before dawn or after sunset. One important fact to remember is that not all insects cause injury to your plants. Less than 1 percent of the 30 to 50 million species of insects on earth are pests. Many of them, like bees, are hard workers that are misunderstood.

  So give them and your wallet a break and consider reducing the amount of pesticides you spray in your yard.

Stacey Bealmear is the urban horticulture agent with the Yuma County Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at 726-3904.