Intoxicated with pollen,
Or having a nap?
I haven’t decided whether
To snooze or to clap!
This bee must be older, and
He has really slowed down.
A young bee with its energy
Flies to all points around.
As old as this bee is,
From the time of its birth,
It is a valiant soul,
And has shown its true worth.
Let’s applaud him for
Dedicating his life to the hive,
And tell him what a great bee he is,
As because of him we all thrive.
Prose by Denise
With apologies to all the greats who inspire me, old and young. I love reading poetry but I don’t very often attempt to write any, and I didn’t start the day saying, “Today I am going to write a poem!” Once in every blue moon something will click. The thoughts in my head were a jumble, but as I looked at my photo of this tired little bee, I started jotting things down. I thought he deserved more today than just a photo. They deserve as many tributes as we can give them, our bees. We would be in a very sorry state if they were no more, and their numbers are declining. A very interesting article here on this very subject
My information below comes from a variety of sources, over a long period of time. You may know much of this already. I always enjoy finding out such things, I enjoy refreshing what is inside my head, sorting out that jumble. I need to be more diligent making a note of where I found my info, as I would like to revisit. This is an ongoing process.
Onward!
Sometimes you may come across a bee who is so still you might think it is dead but this is not so. These bees have flown miles and miles, and may have miscalculated their journey back to the hive. They are utterly exhausted and in need of some sustenance. To help them on their way, you can mix a special drink for them
Mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Either pour this into a shallow plate or you can use a spoon. Place on a garden table or near where you have spotted a bee. You will soon be hearing a buzz of appreciation.
Here are some interesting facts about bees. Did you know…
The reason bees are so noisy is that they beat their wings 11,400 times in one minute.
Only female bees can sting. Male bees don’t have stingers.
Honey bees communicate through a series of dance moves.
A hive of bees will fly over 55,000 miles to make 1 lb. of honey a year.
The lifespan of a honeybee is entirely dependent on its role within the hive and the time of the year. During spring or summer, a worker bee will live to about six weeks, while a bee that is prepped and ready for winter can live for four to six months.
Bees can sense the hormone a human gives off when they are scared. If they feel their hive is threatened the bees will attack.
The honeybee is the only insect that makes food that humans can eat.
Each honeybee from the same hive has their own specific color identification.
Eating honey makes you smarter. It has an antioxidant that improves brain functions.
Bees have existed for 100 million years.
The name Melissa is derived from the Greek word for honeybee.
There is a very interesting article here with more fascinating facts about bees.
