Day of the Honey Bee

— heibaihui/iStock/Thinkstock

In May of 1858, two honey bee hives arrived in Victoria harbour. Today B.C. has more than 2,300 beekeepers managing about 47,000 colonies. The little pollinators are key to the province’s agriculture, with approximately $250 million in production depending on their services. Additionally, bees create about $10 million of honey and other hive products annually.

Honey bees have certainly come a long ways in the 156 years that they’ve been a part of agriculture and economics in British Columbia. In recognition, May 29 will be declared Day of the Honey Bee.

“The Day of the Honey Bee is a great reminder to people to appreciate how much bees contribute to our daily lives, our economy, and our food supply,” said Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick. -British Columbia Newsroom

But the Day of the Honey Bee comes at a time when honey bees are struggling to survive more than ever before.

“The Day of the Honey Bee is both a useful exercise in increasing everyone's appreciation of honey bees and their current plight, but also a great example of what one committed person can accomplish with a thoughtful response to a problem they think should be addressed,” said Kerry Clark, the second vice president of the B.C. Honey Producers Association. -British Columbia Newsroom

To celebrate honey bees this summer, why not do something to help them thrive at home? First and foremost, eliminate the use of garden and lawn pesticides. You can go further by creating a bee-friendly garden with a variety of bright flowers. Your veggies and fruit will also thrive by attracting more pollinators. Finally, buy your own honey supply from a local producer. Not only will local honey be more sustainable, but you’ll generally find it's a much higher quality.

Honey bees are fighting an uphill battle. The more help we can give them, the better.