We have grown up with honey bees following us around in gardens, apple orchards, and forests, easily identifiable by their honey yellow stripes and slim, hairy bodies, but what about the other bees out there?
Honey bees have long been known as the poster child for the “Save the Bees” campaigns, stealing much of the spotlight from native bees. The National Wildlife Federation’s sponsorship of “Rewilding Honeybees” at the International Wildlife Film Festival brought up many questions relating to “wild” bees. Were honey bees once wild? Where did honey bees originate from? How do honey bees and our native bees interact?
Honey bees are native to Europe and were first introduced to the United States in the 1600s for honey production. Now 400 years later, they are the most widely distributed livestock animal in the United States. We rely primarily on honey bees to pollinate 1/3 of the food we eat, making them paramount to commercial agriculture. Even though honey bees may be one of the most important species for humans, they compete heavily with native bee populations.
“While vital to agriculture and the economy, keeping honey bees is not wildlife conservation,” said National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski.
To Bee or Not to Bee: A Discussion on Honey Bees • The National Wildlife Federation Blog
Honey bees have long been known as the poster child for the “Save the Bees” campaigns, stealing much of the spotlight from native bees. The National Wildlife Federation’s sponsorship of “Rewilding Honeybees” at the International Wildlife Film Festival brought up many questions relating to “wild” bees. Were honey bees once wild? Where did honey bees originate from? How do honey bees and our native bees interact?
Honey bees are native to Europe and were first introduced to the United States in the 1600s for honey production. Now 400 years later, they are the most widely distributed livestock animal in the United States. We rely primarily on honey bees to pollinate 1/3 of the food we eat, making them paramount to commercial agriculture. Even though honey bees may be one of the most important species for humans, they compete heavily with native bee populations.
“While vital to agriculture and the economy, keeping honey bees is not wildlife conservation,” said National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski.
To Bee or Not to Bee: A Discussion on Honey Bees • The National Wildlife Federation Blog