Visitors to the Market may have noticed the bees swarming around some of the sunflowers. While that may have caused some of you to stay far away from the sunflowers, those bees were busy doing what they do best. So, I thought I would share some interesting information about bees.
Although a bee sting can be deadly to those with allergies, virtually all bee species are non-aggressive if undisturbed and many cannot sting at all. Humans are often a greater danger to bees, as bees can be affected or even harmed by encounters with toxic chemicals in the environment. In North America, yellowjackets and hornets are often misidentified as bees, despite numerous differences between them.
Despite their sting, bees are generally held in high regard, most likely due to their usefulness as pollinators and producers of honey. Bees are the major pollinator in ecosystems that contain flowering plants. (Some of our vendors make use of bees to pollinate their orchards.) It is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees.
So next time you see bees buzzing around, don’t panic. Just wish them well as they continue to do their job, pollinating the flowering plants that will go on to become the delicious peaches, apples, pears, and more that you buy at the Market!
